Interesting Times
by KJ4
Summary: Rewrite/Updated. It's been eight years since Syndrome's defeat and the world has changed. A new generation of supers dubbed "novas" by the media have manifested and a new era has begun. And exactly who is this young man claiming to be the son of Buddy Pine? Originally titled "Awkward Times, Interesting Times"
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Incredibles, don't own Aberrant (though I wonder if it's possible to buy the rights since White Wolf discontinued it). Disney owns Incredibles, White Wolf (until someone buys it from them or they just give it up) owns Aberrant.

Author's Notes: Okay, yes, this a rewrite of "Awkward Times, Interesting Times". Why? Because when I first started writing this twisted 'verse, I had no idea what the hell I was getting into or how big this thing would turn out to be. Originally, this was meant to be a humorous drabble but, obviously, turned into something else. And now, as I reach the end of WoA, I realized I should take this opportunity to clean up/edit some errors in the original story (like I did with the Aeon prequel). Not much has been taken out, but there are some goodies being added in.

As always, I would like to thank Walker, Shannon, Rubypaladin, Concolor_44, Nullchronicler, Author of Lies, and all the other people who have stuck around for this since the beginning. Thank you very much. Oh...and Crazystick/McSlave and Artificus...I blame you two for feeding/overloading my muse on this project. It's all your fault!

* * *

_**Aeon Building**_

_**Chicago, Illinois**_

The sixty year old woman didn't appear to be much as she stood in the middle of the room and studied the various monitors on the room. In fact, her graying hair and conservatively cut skirt and jacket combined with her small frame would give most observers the impression that she was someone's grandmother or just some retiree who would spend the rest of her years gardening while living in a house full of cats. And that was was just the impression she would want the general public to walk away with if they ever saw her.

However, the handful of people who were in the room with her they knew this "grandmotherly" figure had a heart of stone and had no problem ordering someone's death with just a mere sigh and a dismissive wave of her hand. The four technicians monitoring the feed coming in from Aeon's intelligence gathering network were too busy focusing on analyzing and filtering the information seemed to pay no heed to the danger. After all, they were doing their jobs and were too busy to think about "cold old bitch" who watched the various data and footage flash across the screens.

The two men who flanked the woman also didn't seem to show much fear. One of the men, an Asian man in his late fifties stared at the screens with as much interest as the woman had while the other man, a Caucasian in his forties with a medium build and slightly receding hairline, seemed less enthused about being there.

"Being patient was never your strong suit, was it Jonathan?" The woman didn't even turn her attention away from the screens when she asked the question.

"My apologies, Director Thetis," Jonathan Lansing said, bowing his head slightly. "Given the situation that has occurred recently, I am concerned about the threat this young man represents to us given what he is."

"Ah yes," Thetis said, "David Pine Flynn." One of the main screens brought up the image of a young man in his late teens or early twenties with short-cropped red hair. "I must admit that the boy's sudden emergence on the public scene might signal some possible turbulence ahead, but nothing we can't handle."

"With all due respect, Director, this 'mere boy' is more than possible turbulence."

Thetis paused for a moment and closed her eyes. "Oh yes," she said a few seconds later as she opened her eyes and slowly turned to face the man. "That's right, you were one of the Aeon agents assigned to monitor Buddy Pine's activities when he was working for us. And you were the one suggesting that the child should be eliminated eight years ago when the NSA took him."

"A decision I still stand by, Director."

Thetis studied the man's demeanor for a moment before responding. She noted there was no defiance in the man's voice, but she could see that there was something in the man's eyes...yes...fear. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it about this boy that scares you, Jonathan?"

"The fact that he can easily learn our secrets, especially after what happened in Oklahoma last year."

"Ah yes," Thetis nodded sadly, "the Redfield incident...that was very unfortunate."

"And we failed to contain and neutralize the threat. He briefly accessed our primary network and walked off with sensitive information."

"And yet he remained silent for nearly a year after escaping," the Asian man finally said, causing Thetis and Lansing to turn in his direction. "He quietly bided his time and managed to reclaim some of his father's assets before going public even though we had him under surveillance. I guess the question is, 'why now'?"

"If he's his father's son, Ozaki, I think it's safe to say he'll be coming for us," Lansing replied. "When I approached him last week, he pretty much told me to get lost."

"And because of his reaction, you deem him an urgent threat?" Ozaki shook his head. "While I agree that David Pine Flynn is a potential threat and may become one in the future, I don't see the point of agitating him and forcing the issue."

"If he's anything like his father, you might want to change that tune."

"And that's what concerns you, isn't it, Jonathan?" Thetis asked. "You truly believe the apple doesn't fall from the proverbial tree." When the man nodded, Thetis sighed and made a decision. "Very well," she said, "increase your surveillance on the young man, but do NOT engage or try to start something. As Ozaki said, it will not do to agitate the situation and we cannot risk having a crisis break out at this time."

_Especially, _she silently added, _if it's not a crisis of our own design and implementation._

Lansing nodded again, then turned and walked away. Thetis waited until the man was gone until she spoke again. "You think I might have made the wrong call, don't you, Hideo?"

"No, Director," Ozaki replied. "Given what we know of the boy's father and what he is capable of, it's only logical to assume the child may share some of the father's traits. The only thing I really question is allowing Lansing to spearhead this operation."

Thetis smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile, it was a cold and calculating one. "Perhaps," she admitted, "but he does know Buddy Pine and how the man operated." She then chuckled as a thought occurred to her. "If we're going to deal with sea monsters, we might as well have our own 'Ahab' deal with it."

* * *

_We've always seen, heard, or experienced the old term "the past coming back to bite you in the ass" at some point in our lives. In the case of the Adam-X experiment we recovered from Pine's island stronghold, it could almost be seen as both a blessing and a headache. Some of my colleagues wanted me to terminate the experiment and turn the remains over to the Aeon Society. However, I never trusted the Aeon Society, not since my own days as a "hero". Instead of turning the boy over to Aeon, I made sure our agency took custody of him. I had him placed with one of our semi-retired operatives and, while there have been some complications, I do not regret the decision. However, I never expected the boy to do what he did. But instead of coming back to bite me in the ass, my past took a different approach...he simply drove up to the front door of the family his biological father had almost murdered._

_-Journal Entry, NSA Director Rick Dicker_

* * *

Helen Parr, mother, wife, and occasional crime-fighter looked out the kitchen window and smiled as she watched her youngest son playing basketball in the driveway. Though he was only nine years old and probably the most powerful in the family, Jack seemed interested in "more important things" like basketball, roller-blading, and playing video games.

"Nash has the ball, only seconds to go, but he's blocked...passes it to Shaq, Yao's moving in for the kill, Shaq passes it back to Nash...long shot for three points...SCORE!"

Helen shook her head and laughed as she listened to her son's imaginary commentary. She thought it amusing that Jack, one of the most powerful supers on the planet, was more grounded than his other siblings.

No, she thought, that wasn't really fair. Violet, at the age of twenty, was starting her second year of college and Dash was going to graduate this year although he had expressed spending more time with the Incredibles team than looking at going to college like his sister.

Except Jack was different...he didn't seem to be enthralled by the whole "super hero thing", though Helen wondered if that was because Jack grew up in a family of supers that wasn't trying so hard to be normal. Helen knew that the boy would probably want to embrace the family tradition as he got older, but for now...he was just a normal, albeit slightly hyper-active kid and Helen was happy with that.

It had been an interesting last eight years since the team made it's official "debut" in the battle against Syndrome. Supers were starting to make their presence known again, especially after the Galatea incident, though most were hesitant when certain US senators drafted legislation requiring registration. Thankfully, that motion was defeated, but it still lurked around in the Senate...occasionally rearing its ugly head whenever there was an incident involving supers and widespread damage.

However, the Parrs were able to make it work. They were mostly inactive, only going active when a major threat arose, but they kept mostly to themselves. Bob, surprisingly, was made a supervisor at his job and ended up heading a department that investigated insurance fraud. Helen managed to return to college and finish her degree, majoring in psychology and education. She occasionally substituted as a teacher at the local high-school, much to the chagrin of Dash.

Overall, it had been a relatively quiet life...that was suddenly shattered when she saw a black BMW Mini-Cooper convertible pull up in the driveway, stopping to leave enough distance for Jack continue to shoot at the basket.

It wasn't the two teens she saw sitting in the car, a boy and a girl enjoying a drive, that bothered her; though the girl's bright pink and spiky hair did sort of stand out. The young man who got out of the car, Helen figured him to be around 18, was dressed in jeans, but wore a black button down shirt and casual shoes which looked like they were Italian leather. And yet there was something about the young man that made her uneasy.

"Excuse me," he said to Jack who stopped what he was doing to take a look at the strange car that had invaded his driveway. "I'm looking for your parents."

"Hey, Mom!" Jack shouted. "There's some weird guy in the driveway who wants to talk to you!"

The stranger shook his head and laughed as he made his way towards the front door. "I guess that would be accurate," he said.

Helen opened the front door and froze for a moment as she saw the young man's boyish grin. His blue eyes had a sort of playful quality. But she saw something familiar...something that sent chills up her spine.

"Mrs. Parr?" he asked.

"Yes," said Helen, amazed that she was able to act normal despite the strange fear that seemed to be gripping her.

The young man hesitated for a moment, glancing down at his feet for a moment to chuckle nervously before looking back up at her. "I'm sorry...this is kind of hard for me, I figured being direct and honest about this would get it out of the way and make it easier, but...okay...I can do this...if I can face down corporate board members, I can face this."

Helen's momentary fear dissipated a little at the amusing moment as the young man took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Sorry," he said. "I'd been rehearsing this moment the last few days in front of a mirror when I knew I had to deal with you and your family." He looked around nervously for a moment. "Especially since we both know your husband could probably throw me into the next state...yes, I know who you are."

The fear suddenly returned and Helen took a step back. "Who are you?" she asked more sharply than she wanted to. Apparently Jack overheard her because he stopped shooting hoops and watched from the driveway.

"Okay," the young stranger said. "I had an idea of how this moment was going to turn out...unfortunately, it's going EXACTLY the way I thought it would."

"Who are you?" Helen asked again, this time her voice was lower, dangerous. This young man knew about her, Bob, and probably the rest of the family...he was a definite threat and yet there was something about his demeanor that threw her completely off.

"Are you a bad guy?"

That question caught both of them off guard. They both turned to look at Jack who was now walking up to them. Helen could feel her self panicking...she didn't want her youngest at ground zero if things went sour and a fight broke out.

"Um...sort of..." was the stranger's response. Then he paused again and took another breath. "Okay, enough with the dramatic beating around the bush," he said. "My name is David Pine Flynn. You could say I'm Syndrome's bastard."

That's when it all hit her. The boyish smile, the blue eyes, the reddish-brown hair...then she focused on the black BMW Mini-Cooper and the stylized lighting bolts on the sides...except they weren't lighting bolts...they looked too much like the "S" on Syndrome's costume. She could already feel the adrenaline beginning to rush through her body as she prepared herself for a fight to defend herself and her son. And yet...David Pine Flynn still just stood there...non-hostile. For another long moment, there was silence as she and and the young man faced off against each other while Jack stood off to the side.

A face-off that was interrupted by the annoyingly cheerful beep from the BMW's horn and the pink haired girl sitting in the passenger seat who rolled down the window.

"David! Hurry up...I'm low on my caffeine fix!"

"Just a second," David hollered back over his shoulder before returning his attention to Helen. "Sorry about that, Mrs. Parr. Zoe's a little cranky today." He then lowered his voice to a whisper. "She gets that way when she doesn't get her mocha."

"I heard that!"

It was a surreal moment for Helen. One instant she was expecting a fight with a being claiming to be the bastard child of her family's most dangerous enemy, then she found herself trying not to laugh at the young man as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card and handed to her.

"Look," he said, "there's a Starbucks down the road about a mile out...I'll be there for the next few hours. Tell your husband that I just want to talk...that's all, okay?"

Helen didn't say anything in response. She simply took the card and examined it as David started to walk away. The card read "Syndrome Software Technologies" and had an address for a small business complex that was in town.

Suddenly, David stopped and turned around. "Oh...one last thing...my dad...did he really have 80s hair?"

Again, Helen was taken off guard by this young man? What kind of villain was he?

_Or is he a villain?_

Helen nodded slightly. "Yes," she managed to say.

The young man shuddered slightly at that answer, unconsciously running his hand through his hair. "Okay...definitely going to shave it all off if it goes that way." And with that final comment, he turned and walked back towards his car, pausing for a moment to give Helen a tiny wave before getting inside.

Helen watched the Mini drive off and waited for several seconds...making sure it was gone. She then looked down at Jack who was twirling the basketball on a finger.

"Jack...get inside."

"Huh?" The boy looked up at his mother, obviously confused by the sense of urgency in her voice.

"Just do it, okay?" Helen said as she half-pulled her son into the house. She closed the front door, locked it, and grabbed the phone off the living room coffee table. She hit the button for Bob's office, glancing out the window as she waited for her husband to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Bob...you need to come home, now!"

"Um...honey, I'm kind of in the middle of an investigation, can it wait?"

Helen kept her voice even. "It can't wait Bob, we have a problem."

"Oh...Jack didn't _break _something again, did he?"

"What? No...no...not like that, but it is one of _those _kind of problems."

"Oh...that kind of problem." There a pause on the other end of the line and Helen heard a door shut in the background before Bob spoke again. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," snapped Helen. "It's not every day that someone claiming to be the son of one your enemies shows up on our doorstep."

"Ah...hon, don't you think you're overreacting? I know this is a secure line, but do you really want to talk about the 'family business' now?"

"Bob...a young man claiming to be the son of Buddy Pine was just here."

Dead silence was the only response Helen got for several seconds. "Bob? You still there?"

Bob was still quiet for several more seconds before finally saying, "I'll be home in ten minutes."

* * *

"That could have gone a bit better," said David as he pulled the Mini into the Starbucks parking lot.

"Well what did you expect?" asked Zoe. "I mean, you are technically the genetic offspring of the psychotic mastermind who sold weapons to everybody and killed a bunch of superheroes and nearly destroyed a city and kidnappedalittlekidandwaspre ttymuchamentallyunstablepsyc hopathsufferingfromdelusions ofgrandeurandhadaverybadcase of80shair."

David looked over at Zoe for a moment, shaking his head at the annoying habit the young speedster had of slipping into high-speed babblespeak. "Okay...that's it...you're drinking decaf."

"You wouldn't!" Zoe half-snarled/half-laughed.

"In a heartbeat."

"80s hair," she giggled, reaching over to mess up his hair. "It's genetic, better be ready."

"Zoe!"

"How long before my eighteenth birthday?"

"One year, two months, one week, three days, ten hours, 22 seconds," David responded, his hyper-intelligent mind processing the question before he could consciously stop it. He hated when the girl did that to him.

Zoe smirked at him, pretending to shudder in terror. "I can't help but be a little worried about that..."

"Dammit, Zoe! You did that on purpose."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's notes: Okay...second chapter. Wasn't too sure on the timeline and details for Aberrant, but I've changed some things to fit the setting. Just a warning...the story starts out funny, but it will slowly start to get into dark territory. This is a repost/re-edit to clear up some typos and also add some more information on the whole Aberrant universe for those not familiar with it. And just so you know...the year in this fic is 2006, the events of the movie took place in early 1998 (a few weeks before the Galatea incident). The opening intro to this chapter is straight out of the Aberrant RPG...what's scary is how easily the Incredibles 'verse fits with the Aberrant 'verse.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Incredibles, Scrubs, Metalocalypse, or any of the Aberrant Characters. Disney owns Incredibles and Scrubs, White Wolf owns Aberrant, and I'm not sure who owns Metalocalypse but I know it's not me.

* * *

_Nobody knew what to do about the manifesting novas. Their appearance turned science, religion, and society all on their heads. We didn't even know what an M-R node was. We were baffled._

_That's when the Aeon Society entered the picture. This philanthropic organization had an extensive, if not widely publicized, history of assisting and backing various large-scale goodwill programs, such as the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and similar projects. These fellows decided that somebody might be needed to stick up for the novas, and it might as well be they. So they started talking to the UN and a possible solution was worked out._

_The Zurich Accord of June 1998 -and you had better believe that this **will** be on the test- declared novas to be human beings. I know, this sounds like a common-sense thing, but there was a very real case they wouldn't have all the rights and responsibilities that go with being human._

_Can anyone name the movement that disagrees with the Zurich Accord? Anyone? Good, Emily – the Teragen. But we'll get to them later._

_Anyhow, Project Utopia was formed in the wake of the Zurich Accord. Its stated goal was "to utilize the vast powers of novas to better the quality of life for all, human and nova alike, on Planet Earth."_

_That's on page 227 – better memorize that. Utopia also had an environmentalist agenda, but people have benefited from that as much as animals and plants have._

_The next step for Project Utopia was twofold. First, it began intervention programs, where Utopia would contact newly erupted novas and invited them to Rashoud facilities, special clinics designed to help novas adjust to their new powers. Then Utopia announced the formation of special team of all-nova operatives, Team Tom-_

_Ah, there's the bell. All right, people, finish reading chapter 24! Tomorrow, we're picking up where we left off, and I don't want to have to quiz you – but I will if I don't start hearing some feedback!_

From a Social Sciences lecture, Enka High School, North Carolina

* * *

David looked at his foe, a cold murderous gleam in his eye as he spoke. "Okay...you've caused me enough pain and suffering, you've screwed my plans, destroyed my property, and have pretty much been a pain in my ass for the last time." He stabbed his finger hard on the left button of his lap-top's mouse. "DIE!" he laughed manically as he watched the multiple nuclear silos on his computer screen launch their missiles.

Across the table, Zoe Kilmarten brushed her pink hair out of her face as she frantically guided the mouse on her lap top and clicked the multiple SCUD missile sites she had stashed around the map. "Oh no you don't."

Both screens lit up as explosions destroyed military bases on both screens...one flashing VICTORY while the other screen flashed YOU WERE DEFEATED.

"Dammit," grumbled David as the game shifted to the win/loss screen. "How the hell can someone with attention deficit disorder beat me so easily at this game?"

The pink haired teen giggled wickedly as she got out of her chair and extended an open hand in his direction. "Less bitching, pay up...Need. More. Mocha. Now...gimme, gimme, gimme..."

David sighed as he handed her a twenty dollar bill. "I hate you," he grumbled.

"No you don't..."

"Yes I do."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

"How long until my eighteenth birthday?"

"One year, two months, one week, three days, seven hou-ZOE!"

With an evil snicker, the pink-haired speedster zipped off towards the counter. David shook his head and groaned...and laughed. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve Zoe, but he had to admit that running into her at Royal Burger was a good thing...even though they both lost their jobs because he had effectively destroyed the restaurant...well...not destroyed, the restaurant was still there but closed during a pending investigation of some of the owners' questionable business practices (and their manager/nephew's habit of trying to get into the pants of under-aged teen hostesses).

Two months later, David had managed to recover some of the financial assets that belonged to his biological father along with certain schematics. Of course, that didn't sit well with Director Dicker of the NSA, but there was little he could do about it. After all, with his ability to mentally link with computers and his ability to build really cool stuff...it wasn't that hard for David to track down his biological father's holdings...at least the ones that weren't confiscated. He was content with just working his way through college, but after the incident at Royal Burger, he decided he was better off striking out on his own. Dicker had repeatedly warned (in other words, tried to intimidate) David into not using his abilities, and that if he followed in the footsteps of his father, the NSA wouldn't hesitate to bring him down and lock him back up in the freezer.

That didn't sit well with David...he didn't like being compared to his father. Buddy Pine...aka Syndrome...was a whiny bitch who kept trying to compensate for something. David had no intention of going down that path, but being compared to that loser was what made him lose his cool. Later that night, Director Rick Dicker found himself registered on every on-line gay singles dating service, along with all his contact numbers (both his NSA and private residence) made available to anyone looking for a date. Things would have gotten even worse if David's foster-father (who David pretty much thought of as his dad) hadn't convinced him to undo the damage. Besides, having a bunch of black helicopters hovering above and black SUVs surrounding their home at four in the morning was waking up the entire neighborhood.

Dicker would have taken David and tossed him in the cooler then if David's foster-father hadn't intervened and informed Dicker that while he may only be a janitor at the local hospital, he still knew how to "clean up undesirable elements and not leave a trace". That made the government agent hesitate and had David wondering what exactly Neil did before he became a janitor. David asked him about it when Dicker and his task force left and the response was typical from his adopted "Dad".

"It was a long time ago, we don't need to talk about it, and you're grounded for getting me out of bed this early."

David chuckled at that memory...Neil was a cool for a foster parent. When David's super-abilities first activated, Neil's reaction was, "Okay...so you have super abilities, that still doesn't get you out of doing the dishes."

So when David moved out and relocated to Metroville at the age of eighteen, he made sure he used some of his newly acquired money to buy his foster-family a new dishwasher.

What surprised David was running into Zoe again...this time working at a Build-A-Bear in the local mall. For some reason, the pink-haired speedster decided to hang out with him...not that he didn't mind...she was kind of hot...it's just she was still under eighteen and she had an overprotective uncle who scared the hell out of him. Ironically, Zoe's uncle had no problem with David...so long as David didn't do anything "indecent" to his favorite niece.

So...here he was, two months on his own, starting up his own tech firm with money he liberated from carefully hidden Pine Industries accounts in the Cayman Islands. As usual, Dicker was still being an ass and making sure David knew he was being monitored, but David didn't care. Unlike his father, David wasn't interested in trying to kill heroes or try to take over the world...although he had toyed with the idea of hacking Apple and arranging it so everyone got free downloads from I-Tunes for twenty-four hours. The only problem was that Metroville was home to a certain family that might try to cause problems later on.

He could have just laid low and stayed off their radar, but he knew it would be a matter of time before he crossed paths with the Parr family. So, he decided to confront that problem right from the start, despite Dicker's warnings about it being a bad idea. He had hoped the meeting would have gone off without any problems...simply confront the Parrs, tell them what he was going to do, offer them some sort of truce...and then move on. Unfortunately, it didn't go that way; it didn't go too badly, but Bob Parr wasn't home and Helen looked like she was about to rip David's head off. Normally, David would have been annoyed at that, but he really didn't blame her. After all, his father did try to kill them, level their city, and try to kidnap the youngest Parr child. He would have done the same in her position.

David glanced at his watch...almost three hours had passed since he had shown up on the Parr's doorstep. He would give Mr. Incredible another fifteen minutes to show up before heading out. In the meantime, it was time to check in with Neil. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" The voice who answered sounded like he was in the middle of doing some sort of serious labor.

"Hey, Dad...it's me, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Davey! How's it going, kiddo?" There was the sound of something being dropped to the ground followed by someone screeching "Ow!" in the background.

"Um...Dad...what are you doing?"

"Oh...not much, son...Doctor Dorian got a promotion, it got to his head so I had to-"

"Help him regain some of his humility back," David finished for his adoptive parent. "I gotcha'...you're not going to ship him via Fed-Ex to Doctor Cox again, are you?"

"Nah...got him in a laundry bag and I'm thinking about hanging him off a flagpole, what do you think?"

"Oooh, old-school stuff...sounds cool." David chuckled again, imagining that pompous jack-ass Doctor Dorian being hung off a flag-pole in a laundry bag. "It's too bad I'm not there...otherwise, I'd join you and bring my paint ball gun for target practice."

"Well...you're only a couple hours away, I could put him on ice for that time and wait for you to get here."

"Hmmm, as tempting as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass. I'm in the middle of something kind of important."

"Oh...I take it you've gone ahead and contacted them?" asked Neil, his tone shifting immediately from twisted humor to one of concern. "How'd it go?"

"Not too bad, the big guy wasn't there, but ran into his wife and their youngest son."

"Really? Did she threaten you?"

"No, though there was a little tension there and I'm sure she talked to her husband after we left."

"'We?' Oh no...you didn't take Zoe with you, did you?"

"Yeah...though she behaved."

"You're not doing anything to her, are you? I can't protect you from her uncle if you-"

"Jeez, Dad...what is up with you people? You raised me better than that, I'm more concerned about getting my business off the ground than getting laid. Money and cash-flow first...sex life second." Then David shuddered as he got a mental image of Zoe's uncle ripping his head off. "Besides, the last thing I need is that psychopath dismembering me, feeding me to his pet wolves, and then using my soul as toilet paper."

"Yeah...I can see how that would ruin your day. Then again, when you talk to Mr. Parr, maybe you won't need to worry because he may just kill you first."

"Not helping, Dad," said David as he returned his attention to his laptop and started to surf local real estate sites. "Anyway...I just thought I'd call and let you know I'm fine for the most part. At the moment, I'm looking for office space."

"I'm telling you, just buy a run-down motel...they're relatively cheap and use that for a headquarters."

"I am not buying a run-down motel."

"Hey, it worked for Microsoft in the beginning, you never know."

"Well, times have changed, we're a little bit more advanced now."

"Yeah...well...there wasn't an internet back then either...well, at least not like we have it now."

David rolled his eyes. "Dad, you're not going to tell me that your were there when Al Gore supposedly invented it, are you?"

"Of course not," said Neil. "Gore had nothing to do with it, we ripped the idea off of a star ship's operating system back in the 50s-"

"Good-bye, Dad," David laughed. He closed his cell-phone and shook his head, Neil's crazy stories may have sounded like crazed conspiracy theories, but that's what David loved about his adopted father...especially since there was enough evidence to support most of the claims. A large shadow suddenly fell over the table, immediately causing his smile to fade. He didn't even bother to look up as he logged his lap-top off line and closed it. "You know...the whole intimidation thing works on criminals, Mr. Parr...but not me."

"You were warned to stay away." The voice was calm, but David could sense the cold threat implied by it. "You should have listened."

David sighed and looked up at Bob Parr. "I take it you talked to Dicker," he said as he gestured for Bob to pull up a chair. "Have a seat, we need to talk."

The large man simply stood there, glaring down at David, his right fist slowly clenching and unclenching.

"Oh c'mon," said David, "I'm not your enemy. I just want to talk and since you're here, you might as well pull up a chair and have a coffee, I'm buying." He then lowered his voice. "Besides, the way I see it...I should be thanking you for what you did."

That admission seemed to have taken the man by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"If it weren't you and your family, I would probably still be in a tank somewhere waiting for my sperm-donor to defrost and program me."

Bob Parr was speechless for a moment. When he was informed about this young man named David Pine Flynn, Dicker only informed him that he was one of Syndrome's experiments that had gained sentience on his own. Helen was almost in a panic, screaming about how "He walked right up to our doorstep". He rarely saw her lose it like that...only when the family was threatened did she let her emotions override her thinking. He couldn't blame her, he felt the same when he heard about the incident.

But, now, here we was confronting what his mind had subconsciously labeled as 'Syndrome 2.0' and he was...confused. This David Flynn, while having some of Buddy's facial features, didn't seem to match Bob's mental image. The boy also didn't seem to have Buddy's compulsive attitude about trying to impress people.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Look, can you at least pull up a chair? We're attracting attention."

Bob looked around and noticed that other patrons were staring in their direction. Reluctantly, he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"You want anything?" the young man asked again. "I mean...I'm buying and I could write it off as a business expense."

"No thanks," Bob replied. "Now...about your...father."

"Ah, so we're back to that. Okay, Mr. Parr...long story short, it seems Buddy was in the middle of creating himself a little sidekick using genetic material he had taken from himself and some lady named Mirage. I was aged to about ten years old and living in an artificial reality when you and your family trashed the island. Dicker's people found me, took me off ice, and placed me with some family."

"You were on Nomansian? That was eight years ago."

"Yeah," said David as he leaned back in his chair. "Eight years of me being stuck with a foster family...actually, really wasn't all that bad. Neil's a pretty cool dad...just don't borrow his customized tools." He shuddered as he remembered a near fatal accident with his adopted father's patented "knife-wrench".

He suddenly paused for a moment and blinked. "Wow," he said, "that actually was a lot easier to break down than I thought. I mean, I was afraid it was going to come out as this convoluted drama, but nope...that's pretty much it."

"So why exactly do you want to meet with us?" asked Bob.

"I basically want a truce...I mean, it was only a matter of time before we crossed paths and I would prefer it if we got along as opposed to you throwing me into the next state."

"Well, I have to admit this approach has taken me by surprise," said Bob. "How do I know this is not a trick to earn our trust before trying to kill us."

"Aw, c'mon, Mr. Parr...that crap is old and kind of obvious, don't you think?" Then David grinned. "Besides, if I wanted to 'kill' you, I'd simply jack in to the IRS and other government databases and list you as 'Deceased'...or simply erase you."

Bob felt his anger return. "You'll do no such thing," he growled.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? Dicker would throw my ass back in the cooler and they wouldn't thaw me out until your youngest son collected his first social security check."

Despite his anger, Bob couldn't help chuckling. "Actually, I could see that happening."

"Look, seriously," said David as he gently pushed his laptop aside. "I'm not your enemy, I'm not going to try to kill other supers, and I sure as hell am not dreaming of building a legion of killer robots to help me try and take over the world."

"Do you?" Bob asked.

"Do I what?"

"Have dreams of building a legion of killer robots to help you take over the world?"

David lowered his eyes and frowned slightly. "Not as much, and the therapy sessions are helping." Then he broke out in laugher. "Just kidding, the only dreams I have-"

"Involve a scantily clad pink-haired speedster and her eighteenth birthday?" piped a female voice. Bob turned his head to see a young woman with pink spiky hair holding a super-sized blended mocha.

"Yeah," said David before he realized what he had agreed to. "What!? Zoe!"

The girl called Zoe giggled wickedly as she sat down across from David. It took him a moment, but Bob recognized her. "Wait...I know you, you go to high school with my son."

"Yeah, and your son's a jerk," replied the girl. "He keeps stuffing my friends into lockers...stupid jock. He's not even a real athlete...using his powers to cheat."

"Hey now," said Bob. "He holds back."

"Maybe if someone slipped some laxative in his Gatorade, it would be fair...Dash Parr, the fastest skid-mark alive."

"ZOE!" David said sharply.

Zoe merely gave David an evil grin, then went back to drinking her mocha smoothie and surfing the net on her laptop.

"I take it she's a super as well?" asked Bob.

David nodded and started to rub the side of his head. "Yeah, for some reason I was cursed with her...don't know why."

"Aw...admit it, you love me," quipped Zoe, not even bothering to look up from her keyboard.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Eighteenth birthday?"

"One year, two months, one week, three days, seven hou-dammit!"

Zoe giggled again, and Bob got the impression that there obviously was some sort of relationship there. In fact this duo was not what he was expecting. He was expecting to meet someone who acted more like Buddy Pine/Syndrome. Instead, he was dealing with two teenagers who obviously weren't planning anything malicious...at least not intentionally.

"I will admit that you've surprised me," he said after a few seconds of thought. "I was expecting some sort of confrontation."

"Oh yeah," said David. "I still have to get to the whole 'threaten you if you interfere in my plans' part." Then he shook his head. "Nah, too much work involved...look, I don't want any trouble. I'm simply trying to make money and I don't have this super-obsession like Buddy did. He might be my biological father, but that's it. If you're expecting me to act like him...you're going to be disappointed."

"Eiiiiiiighties haaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiirrrrrrrr..." moaned Zoe dramatically, still typing away on her keyboard. "Flock of Seagullllllllllls...Don Kiiiiiiiiiiiing..."

"Zoe, knock it off! I swear I will go the Lex Luthor route before that happens."

"Oh! You're going to lose your hair in a cornfield during a meteor shower, wreck your porcshe, alienate your friend from another planet because of an obsession with aliens, kill your father, take over his empire, and then leave after the seventh season?"

Both David and Bob looked at her and blinked for a couple seconds before saying anything.

"Oooookay," said David as he grabbed Zoe's half-finished drink. "I think you've hit your mocha limit for the day." He then looked over at Bob. "See what I have to deal with?"

"You can understand that?" asked Bob who was still trying to decipher what the girl had just said.

"Yeah, but this is nothing. You should see her when she downs a couple of Red Bulls...it's not pretty." David extended his hand to Bob. "Look, do we have a deal? I'm not asking to be friends or anything, but can we at least be sort of neighbors and not worry about trying to kill each other?"

Bob took a moment to consider the offer. He knew this could be a trick, but there was something about David Flynn that made him certain the boy was not like his father. Oh, he had no doubt that the boy was dangerous and could possibly be an enemy, but he was certainly no 'Syndrome"...he was...different. After a couple seconds of thought, he reached out and shook David's hand.

"It's a deal...but if you try anything..."

"Yeah, I know...you'll throw me into the next state." David suddenly shuddered at a horrible thought. "Just don't send me to Utah, okay?"

* * *

Outside, sitting in an SUV, two men were watching the conversation between David Flynn and Bob Parr. The man sitting in the driver's seat was slim, wearing a business suit and had black hair that was slowly starting to recede, his hawk-like facial features didn't miss anything as he monitored the conversation that was being relayed to them by one of Project Utopia's covert surveillance satellites. He frowned as he listened to the conversation. When it was over, Bob Parr, also known as the American nova hero Mr. Incredible, left the building, got into his car, and drove off.

"Is there a problem, Director Lansing?" asked the passenger who, in contrast, was a large man with a muscular build. Unlike Lansing, this man was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, along with a baseball cap that covered his shaved head.

Jonathan Lansing shook his head. "No, Caestus," he said. "It's just that the boy had taken a route that I had not expected. He is not at all like his father...if he was, there would have been a violent confrontation. "

"Which is why you had the UN pull some strings to have me brought here," said Caestus Pax, well known superhero and leader of Project Utopia's own super-team, Team Tomorrow. "It would seem we were both disappointed. I was actually hoping for a go at the old man...see if he actually was as good as his reputation."

"Yes, well, we were not here to start an incident. We were supposed to intervene on the boy's behalf and offer him a deal." Lansing shook his head and smiled. "Apparently, the boy has his own agenda."

"So what?" asked Caestus. "He's a hyper-intelligent nova...we have many of those at Utopia. Why worry about this one?"

"Because this one is a level 5 Nova," said Lansing. He could have gone into more detail, but his supervisors at Project Proteus would have skinned him alive for revealing this information to their pawns in Project Utopia. "And that makes him a threat."

Caestus Pax glanced from the small dash-board mounted monitor to the window that David Flynn and his girlfriend were sitting next to. "Him?" he said, trying to keep from laughing too hard. "The girl has more ability than he does. He's an egghead."

Lansing momentarily looked up at the nova and shook his head. "You really have no idea what we might be dealing with, do you?" He then returned his attention to the monitor and watched as David Flynn put his lap-top back in its bag before pulling out a cell-phone. "What are you up to, boy?"

Caestus was still chuckling. "Probably calling a 900 number so he could get over his obsession with the girl-" he was interrupted by the chirping of his cell-phone. He reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out his cell-phone, still laughing when he answered. "Hello?"

"Oh," said the voice on the other end. "I'm sorry...I must have the wrong number. I'm looking for a certain arrogant skinhead version of Superman who thinks he's a badass when he's really nothing but a glorified front-man for Team Tomorrow."

"Who the hell is this?" Caestus snarled, his amusement suddenly replaced by anger. "Do you know who I am?"

"Shelby Eisenfaust, aka Caestus Pax, super jarhead with an IQ that is one-third Jennifer Lander's bra size." There was a pause. "And don't even think of getting out of the car, Pax. The UN approved Project Utopia's request for you to covertly monitor me, make yourself public here and there WILL be an incident."

Caestus looked back at the window and saw David Flynn now standing up and looking at the parked SUV through the cafe window. "Now, be a good little mindless stormtrooper, switch to speakerphone, and let me talk to your master who is sitting in the driver's seat."

"Listen punk, if you think-"

"Okay, that wasn't a request, so let me make my point...please look at your monitor."

Caestus did as he was told, then watched as the satellite image they were receiving suddenly went black and the message "signal terminated" flashed across the screen.

"What the hell?" said Lansing as he tried to get the image back. Then he looked up at Caestus. "The signal's gone...it says that it was taken down at the source, but that could only mean the satellite was destroyed..." Lansing's eyes widened in realization. "That's him on the phone, isn't it?" he asked.

Caestus nodded and hit the speaker button on his cell-phone. "I'm going to kill that punk."

"Unlikely," said David Flynn. "Mr. Lansing, I'm assuming that's you in the SUV, keeping Utopia's favorite pet gorilla in check?"

"Yes," said Lansing, trying to keep his composure. Obviously, he too had underestimated the boy. "We were sent to monitor you in case of an incident."

There was a sigh at the other end of the line. "When we talked last week, Lansing, I said the answer was 'no'. Guess what, the answer is still 'no'. But apparently, you thought it was cool to illegally bring one of project Utopia's satellites in a low orbit to monitor me...big mistake."

"You can't prove anything," snapped Lansing.

"Oh I know I can't prove it, especially since I just blasted it out of orbit."

"How could you have done that?" asked Lansing. "The only way you could do that was-" His eyes widened in horror. "No!"

The young man on the other end of the line chuckled and it chilled Lansing to the bone. "You know, I wonder what certain nations will think if they knew Project Utopia had fully functioning experimental weapons platforms in geo-sync orbit over certain regions?"

"What's he talking about?" Caestus' anger had faded somewhat at this revelation. "What weapons platforms?"

"Oh...I'm sorry," said David. "He doesn't know about those, does he Lansing? Or do those belong to someone else? Not that it matters...it's really not my concern. But what you should be concerned about is that the FBI, CIA, and NSA now know you're here. You've got about two minutes before the initial group of cops arrives. However, that will be nothing compared to the media scrutiny you'll be enduring. So if you want to avoid that, be somewhere else."

"This isn't over, boy," growled Lansing as he started the SUV and began to drive away. He then reached over and snatched the phone from Caestus, switching it back to it's regular setting. "You've made a big mistake here, Flynn."

"Smart move, Lansing, switching the speaker off, because I know two words that will make you reconsider whatever action you take against me."

"Really, and what might those be."

"Proteus. Revealed. And no...that's not a bluff. You try anything, and evidence is going to land in everyone's laps. Imagine the media coup that could be pulled off is someone like...say...the Teragen got their hands on this stuff. Hell, Divis Mal would have a field day and might even do the happy dance on live television."

"You wouldn't dare."

"And I won't...but if you try anything, you'll have a war on your hands. Sure, you might kill me, but I can promise you that Project Utopia won't survive it when the shit about Proteus is revealed. Just think about that the next time you try coming after me."

Then the line went dead.

Lansing calmly handed the phone back to Caestus. "We're leaving," he said.

"You sure?" asked Caestus. "I thought you said he was a level five threat."

"He's not Utopia's problem," said Lansing, keeping his voice as calm and neutral as possible.

_No, he's not Utopia's problem, he's **our** problem now. Flynn, you want a war with Proteus, you got it...and it's cost you everything. When this is over, you'll wish we had killed you._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Incredibles, don't own Aberrant...wish I did...because this was a twisted and cool idea. Still can't believe I'm writing it.

Author's Note: Okay...this little chapter sheds a little light on Project: Utopia and some of the dark secrets behind it. I have tweaked some things in both genres to make it work, partially because I don't have all the Aberrant sourcebooks, so I have to go by what little info I have from the source book and other Aberrant fan sites.

As for timeline purposes...I have the movie taking place in early 1998. The story is eight years later, which makes it 2006 in this story.

* * *

_Director Thetis:_

_We have a problem, it would appear that Lansing's report was not an exaggeration. Someone did indeed break into our network and downloaded massive amounts of information. What is disturbing is that they literally cut through our systems' firewalls with ease and then had the audacity to rebuild them before leaving. We also confirmed that one of our orbital weapons platforms did indeed destroy a Project Utopia surveillance satellite. Again, we cannot confirm where the order came from. Whoever did this was very thorough in covering their tracks. _

_We were also forced to lock down all Team Tomorrow bank accounts that funded their operations in the Americas. Whoever hacked our systems, leaked out information on the accounts' access codes and also made sure the bank account numbers were easily located by every search engine on the 'net._

_I do not need to tell you how serious a threat this breach of security is. If this young man, according to Lansing, is truly that capable, this does not bode well for us and our future operations._

_Ozaki_

-Encrypted communique

* * *

**Addis Ababa, Project Utopia (formerly Ethiopia)**

**Proteus Council Chamber**

Though he had been part of _Proteus_ for a few years now and was a well respected operative, moving about in the true circles of power that controlled Project Utopia, even Lansing felt a little unease as he stepped into the dimly chamber. He stepped up onto the small dais and placed his hand on the small scanning pad built into the rail that partially surrounded the tiny platform.

_"Identity Confirmed...Lansing, Jonathan...Director, Project Utopia International Operations."_

The female voice sounded cool and comforting, but Lansing took very little comfort from it. As much as he loved technological advances, the Proteus AI bothered him. And while he was a "Director" of Utopia's International operations, he was nothing compared to those he was about to meet with.

Around him, seven separate circles of light lit up, surrounding him in a semi-circle...each circle illuminated a dais similar to the one that Lansing stood on, except the light was not bright enough to illuminate the facial features of those that stood within those dais'. In front of each dais was a roman numeral ranging from one to seven, the number of those who made the Proteus Council, the true power behind Project Utopia. He did not know the names of the others, but Lansing knew who occupied dais number one...then again, everyone in Proteus knew who she was. He bowed his head slightly in respect in her direction.

"Director Thetis, members of the council, I appreciate your granting me this audience."

"I trust you have good reason for summoning us," said one man, sitting behind dais number three. "We're still trying to cover up the mess involving the weapon satellites being revealed."

"Easy, three," said a young man at dais six. "We didn't know what the boy was capable of. In fact, we were informed that David Pine was a low level threat. Apparently, our moles in the NSA didn't do their homework."

"A level five nova is not a low-level threat," said Director Thetis, her tone thoughtful. "However, I must admit that his rapid response and retaliation was impressive, though it did cost us a little bit of our anonymity."

"My apologies, Director," said Lansing, praying that the cold fear he was experiencing did not creep into his voice. "I had no idea that he was that capable."

"You shouldn't have provoked him," said another woman, this one sitting at dais four. "If he is anything like his father, he may decide to come after us."

"Be that as it may, Four," said Director Thetis, looking in the direction of dais four. "This unintended revelation has shown us a potential threat. The question is...what should be done about it?"

"I say we leave the boy be, for now" said Six. "We go after him, directly, who knows what he'll try to pull. I've gotten reports that someone had leaked out bank account information for all US accounts that were set aside for Team Tomorrow operations. Hackers everywhere had helped themselves to nearly seven million dollars before we were able to secure the accounts." Then he chuckled. "And someone had placed Cestus' name and personal numbers on several gay singles websites throughout the world."

A few other members laughed for a couple seconds, finding the situation amusing, but the laughter gave way to a darker mood as they all realized what this meant. An eerie silence filled the chamber for a few seconds before Five spoke up.

"Amusing as it is, it's frightening that this young man can easily circumvent our security and get sensitive information. He's already made it clear that he is aware of our existence and seems to have no problem with revealing it to the rest of the world."

"Only if he's provoked," said Four. "If we go after him, there's no telling what he could do."

"You overestimate him, Four," said Three. "We have many novas at our disposal who could take him down. We could kill him before he became a threat and I'm certain we can undo whatever damage he could do to us."

"Maybe we won't have to," said Lansing. "Not if we used a third party that is not linked to us."

All seven heads turned in Lansing's direction, he wasn't sure, but he could have sworn number Four's eyes glowed for a moment.

"What do you propose?" asked the cultured voice of number Two.

"We have the boy's father," said Lansing who felt his confidence returning. Obviously, they saw David Pine's threat level as being more important than his screw-up of antagonizing the boy. "If anyone stands a chance of taking him down, it would be Syndrome. After all, it is his bastard we're dealing with."

"Hmmm, that would be interesting," said Three. "Almost poetic."

"I wouldn't advise it," said Four.

"Nor I," said Seven who, up to this point, had been silent through the whole meeting. "I do believe there is an old saying...let sleeping dogs lie. And I also believe that if we kick this dog, he may just rip our collective legs off."

"Which makes sense to use another rabid dog to take him out." Three then gestured with an arm. "I propose we take a vote and I'll start it off. I vote that we neutralize this threat. Two?"

"Reluctantly, I concur with that vote," said Two. "We must maintain our secrecy at all costs."

"Alright, that's two in favor...Four?"

"I vote no, we're asking for too much trouble."

"So noted...Five?"

"I agree with Two. As much as I hate targeting the young man, he has proven hostile intent and I would rather deal with him now than let him become a bigger threat in the future."

"That's three for elimination, one against." Three didn't bother hiding the smile that obviously accompanied his voice. In fact, Lansing could almost swear he heard the man chuckle. "Six?"

"As much as I like the whole father versus son drama that seems to work wonders in movies and on television, I don't think I want to see it in real life. Syndrome's a delusional psychopath, yeah...but we haven't even seen what the boy is truly capable of, and I really don't want to find out. I vote No."

"Fine," Three almost growled. "Seven, surely you must see reason."

"What you're proposing is murdering someone who was apparently goaded into action by the sanctimonious actions of Mr. Lansing. Were it under other conditions, I would vote in favor of killing the boy, but I really don't see him as a threat. I vote against the proposal."

"I see." Three didn't bother hiding his disappointment. "We're at a tie, which leaves the final decision to you, Director Thetis."

Again, silence filled the room as everyone waited for their leader to cast the final vote. Seconds gave way to minutes as Thetis simply stood there, obviously contemplating the arguments for and against until...

"Yes," she finally replied. "While it is regrettable to lose someone with such potential, he has already proven to be a threat to us and must be neutralized." She then looked in Lansing's direction. "Mr. Lansing, you are authorized to have Syndrome released, but once he has accomplished his mission, I want him terminated as well, is that understood?"

"Yes, Director Thetis," said Lansing.

"And if, for some reason, you screw this up," added Director Thetis, "you will be dealt with as well. It is because of your actions that we are in this mess. If we are compromised, I will see to it that you will be the sacrificial lamb to take the fall."

It took all of Lansing's effort to not shudder at that threat. "It will not happen, Director, you have my word."

The seven dais' suddenly disappeared as the lights shining down on them cut out, the holographic projectors having completed their task. The members of the Council were not really there, they were actually in various locations around the world, using the holo-emitters to virtually project their appearances at their designated dais. And while Lansing knew that he was indeed the only actual flesh and blood being in the room, he was still fearful of what those people would do to him if he failed.

_But I'm not going to fail,_ he thought to himself as he walked out of the room. _Free the boy's father, let the father kill the boy, and then kill the father...fairly simple._

The door to the chamber closed and dais' one and four lit up. Contrary to what Proteus operatives were told, not all the Council members appeared via holographic projection. Some members would actually attend the meeting, especially when it involved a decision like this one. In this case, Director Thetis and Four had attended the meeting.

"I suppose I should owe you an explanation," said Director Thetis.

Four gently brushed her platinum-blonde hair aside as she looked at the Director. "I didn't ask for one, Director."

Director Thetis actually laughed. "Oh come now, Mirage, I know you and I know who and what the boy is. Surely, you must know why I agreed to let them kill your son."

"He's not my son," said Mirage, though there was a hint of emotion her voice. "I was not even aware of him until it was too late."

"And yet, you fear for him," said Thetis. "You may come off as cold and calculating, my dear, but I know you actually care for the boy...I would have done the same in your position."

"Then why agree to this plan?"

Thetis smiled at her protégé. "Because I have faith, like you, that the boy is not like his father."

* * *

_**Somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean**_

The prisoner sang...just like he always did at this time. Ironically, in the last five years since they imprisoned him here, his singing voice had improved...at least in his opinion. It was always the same song, and always sung at the same time, every night after dinner and lockdown.

"_Stay around don't play around_

_This ol' town and all..._

_Seems like I got to...travel Oooonnnnnnn!"_

"_A lot of people won't get no supper tonight..._

_A lot of people won't get no justice tonight..._

_The battle is getting' hotter..._

_In this iration...Armagideon time..."_

"_A lot of people runnin' and hidin' tonight..._

_A lot of people won't get no justice tonight..._

_Remember to kick it over..._

_No one to guide you...Armagideon Time..."_

"Shut up, 342!" snarled one of the guards. "Or we'll see how well you scream under shock treatment." The guard brandished his shock-prod, holding it up in front of the open view-slit in the door.

Prisoner 342 only laughed at him. "Oh...really...please tell me another one. After five years of being locked up here, do you really think I'm intimidated by a mouth-breather with only a tenth-grade education?"

"Oh, you want intimidation, 342?" The guard started to punch in the code to open the cell-door when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, Simms, he's simply trying to goad you," said another guard. He then gestured with his head at 342's cell. "Besides, do you know who that is?"

"Should I care, Morgan?"

"That's Buddy Pine...Syndrome, he's the guy who designed most of the equipment we use." Morgan then looked at 342. "So, how you doing, Pine?"

"Oh, not so bad," said 342, formerly known as the villain Syndrome. "You know how it is, me being locked up except when let out to work in that pathetic place you refer to as a workstation. In my spare time, I think up ways to kill you."

"Oh...business as usual, then?"

"Pretty much...so how about you, Morgan? "

"Oh...just another day in the life of 'Guarding the psycho mega-genius who wants to destroy the world'." Morgan was about to say something else when he suddenly stiffened to attention. Simms, the other guard, also stood at attention when Director Lansing entered the corridor carrying a briefcase.

"Sir," said Morgan. "I was not aware that you would be coming."

"That's quite alright, Mr. Morgan," said Lansing. "I'm here to talk to the prisoner."

"Are you sure, sir?" asked Morgan. "We're under strict orders to keep him iso-"

"I'm sorry." Lansing glared at Morgan, venom slowly filling his voice. "Last time I checked, I had clearance to talk to this prisoner and you were just a guard. Maybe you should be reassigned elsewhere...like Greenland, perhaps?"

"Oh, no sir," stammered Morgan. "It's just that 342 is-"

"I am aware of what Mr. Pine is capable of, Mr. Morgan...now if you would be so kind as to open the cell and let me in."

"Yes sir." Morgan ran the key-card through a wall console then tapped in the code for 342's cell which swung open. "Door's open , sir."

_I can see that, moron._

However, Lansing kept his disgust hidden behind a false smile and nodded at Morgan before stepping inside the cell. A couple seconds later, the door shut behind him, leaving him alone with 342. He then turned to look at the view slit. "And I want some privacy," he said. The slit closed and he pulled a small disc out of his jacket. He placed the disc against the door, pushing a small button.

Confident the jammer was now working, Lansing returned his attention to the prisoner.

"Hello, 342...or should I call you Mr. Pine?"

Buddy Pine looked up at Lansing through the long hair that hung over his face, not even bothering to get up off his bed. "Well, well, Jonathan Lansing...now what would bring such a fine upstanding individual to my little corner of the dungeon?"

"What? An old friend can't visit his former employer?"

"Bullshit," snapped Buddy Pine as he sat up on the bed. "You were never my employee. I suspected someone had infiltrated my group, but I did not realize Project Utopia had managed it...although, Utopia wasn't founded back then. Perhaps your masters...your real masters, Lansing...who are they?"

"You are paranoid, Pine...I have no masters."

"Everyone answers to someone, Lansing." Pine gave Lansing a tiny smile that hinted as if he knew a secret. "Team Tomorrow and that super jar-head answers to you, you answer to your superiors...but who else do you answer too? It's an interesting riddle, isn't it. I may be paranoid, but I'm not stupid. Utopia is the excess shell of sugar coating covering the darkest piece of shit that has the potential to stain mankind for generations."

"Wow," sneered Lansing. "Getting philosophical, are we? Interesting words coming from an unstable psychopath."

"A psychopath I may be, but I'm hardly unstable," said Pine. "And I never found the need to hide my intentions."

"Oh no, of course not," Lansing shot back. "You only murdered a bunch of supers and then tried to pass yourself as a hero under staged circumstances. That failed, you tried to kidnap the son of your enemy, were defeated by a toddler, and nearly got sucked into a jet engine. You know...I sometimes wish your emergency force-field hadn't worked. It would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"Oh, I'm sure it would, but then Utopia wouldn't have made most of those 'technological advances' they claim to have made."

"We have others."

"Maybe, but you don't have them locked up."

"No...they're easy to control and not likely to try and kill us."

Pine folded his arms. "So what is the purpose of this visit? Come to taunt me?"

"In a sense, yes." Lansing gave the prisoner a smug grin. "You, Buddy, are in danger of becoming obsolete...by your own design."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Buddy, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Eight years ago, after Mr. Incredible and his family stopped you, the National Supers Agency raided your island base of Nomanisan. They got a hold of most of your holdings, including some of your projects...one of them being an ongoing project simply designated 'Adam-X'." He then shook his head. "Talk about sloppy, Pine. Leaving what was possibly your greatest creation online and unguarded."

At the mention of 'Adam-X', Buddy's eyes widened. "Impossible, I left that test tube project on stand-by...who could have..." He stopped in mid-sentence when he realized what had happened. "Mirage...that bitch, she must have put him online."

"Well, unfortunately," said Lansing, "we don't know where she is. She disappeared eight years ago, but I have to admit, you two made quite the child...though I'm certain she wasn't happy about you taking her DNA and combined it with yours to create the little bastard. I know you wanted a sidekick, but trying to 'manufacture' your own son? Talk about crossing moral and ethical lines."

"And what is the point of all this, Lansing?"

"Well, it would appear your boy has grown up. When they found him in that chamber, he had been aged to ten years. They placed him with a foster family...surprisingly, he's actually quite stable compared to you. " Lansing opened the briefcase he brought in and pulled out a laptop which he opened and gave to Pine. "This computer contains the latest media coverage for the last few months, you might want to see what your bastard is up to."

"And why would I be interested in that?"

"Because the boy is everything you are not, Pine. Unlike you, he doesn't have your pathological obsession with supers and his abilities surpass yours."

"And you intend to replace me with him?"

"No...you are going to kill him."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Talking to the Devil**

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Disclaimer: Don't own Incredibles, don't own Aberrant...wish I did...because this was a twisted and cool idea. Still can't believe I'm writing it.

Author's Note: Again, this is a repost/edit, with a little "introduction" at the beginning of the chapter. For those not familiar with Aberrant, Divis Mal is the leader of a group called The Teragen. You could say he is to this world what Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants are in the Marvel 'verse except Mal, unlike Magneto, is a little more philosophical about things and would prefer if novas and humans went their separate ways instead of trying to kill each other...unfortunately, there are some members of the Teragen who are more militant than he is.

As for timeline purposes...I have the movie taking place in early 1998. The story is eight years later, which makes it 2006 in this story.

* * *

_...The members of **Homo sapiens novus** (also referred to as "novas") are a species separate from **Homo sapiens**. Regulations and laws enacted for the good of **Homo sapiens **are too easily subverted and misinterpreted to abuse the rights of novas, who are required by destiny to fulfill their full potential – a goal impossible while abiding by strictures set by beings who are not one's peers and who cannot accurately judge what is "ethical" or "moral" for anything other than their own species. As such, the laws and governing bodies established for the purpose of governing **Homo sapiens** must be considered inapplicable to **Homo sapiens novus**._

_Until a common governing body, composed entirely of novas qualified to hold authority, is recognized by the majority of the nova population, then it is the duty of every **Homo sapiens novus **to govern himself or herself as he or she sees fit. Just as it is preposterous to ask humans to abide by the strictures of chimpanzee society, any attempt to force a nova to abide by the laws of human society must be seen as an attack on the right of the individual nova..._

Excerpt: The Teragen "Null Manifesto"

* * *

**Metroville, California **

**Syndrome Software & Technologies Headquarters**

**(...formerly known as Carrington Junior High School...still being renovated)**

Zoe Kilmarten looked down the corridor of the now abandoned school hallway and shuddered. "Okay, this place has too many bad memories," she complained. She zipped through a couple of the empty classrooms before stopping next to David who was looking at some blueprints. "Now tell me again...why did you buy this place?"

"Because it was cheap and it has enough work space for whatever projects we'd be working on." David then looked at Zoe. "Beside, this school's been closed for over a year...and it's been over two years since you were last here."

Zoe shuddered again and shook her head. "Please don't remind me," she said. "Wait a minute...projects 'we' would be working on? Excuse me...who's this 'we'?"

David grinned at her and turned his attention back to the blueprints. "Anyway, we got enough class-rooms that can be converted into workspaces, storage, and maybe even a couple living quarters."

"Living quarters? Who the hell would want to live here?"

"Well, for starters, I was kind of hoping to move into a bigger place."

"Yeah, but a school? This one!?"

"Hey, it's only fitting that a person of my unique abilities would choose a place like this to call home."

"What about the condo?" asked Zoe. "You giving that up?"

"No, I'll still be keeping it," said David. "Although certain people seem to be claiming it as their territory already."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it seems that a certain person who shall remain unnamed committed the vile act of drinking all the coffee in the kitchen."

Zoe glanced back and forth self-consciously, putting on a look of feigned innocence. "I don'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout," she managed to stammer.

David laughed and shook his head. "You know, you have a home. Aren't your parents kind of worried about you hanging out with me?"

"Not really," said Zoe. "Dad's too busy with the Crusaders and Mom's teaching at Arcadia...don't think they care so long as I'm there at breakfast time, doing well in school, and in bed when they check up on me." There was almost a hint of sadness when she spoke, but it suddenly disappeared behind a false smile and an evil giggle. "Besides, Dad can always have the Crusaders show up and trash you if you hurt me, as can Mom. And then there's Uncle Nathan..."

"Stop right there," said David, managing to suppress a shudder at the mention of Zoe's uncle. "We don't need to talk about him. I remember what he did to Clarence from Royal Burger for trying to sleep with under-age teens."

"Yeah...Uncle Nathan is a little protective."

"Zoe, your Uncle Nathan is a necromancer serving as a front man for a heavy metal band that happens to be considered 'potentially hostile' by most countries."

"Yeaaaah, he's such a sweetie," said Zoe. "And he actually likes you."

This time, David didn't hide the shudder. "So long as I don't do anything to you," he mumbled under his breath.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch that."

"Nothing...never mind."

"Eighteenth birthday?"

"One year two month-dammit! Stop doing that!"

Zoe only laughed and ran off down the hallway, leaving a gust of wind that actually slammed some doors shut. David only shook his head and grumbled.

"Why me?" he asked, momentarily looking up to the heavens as if he were expecting an answer. Then he refocused on the blueprints. A couple seconds later, his cell-phone went off, causing him to grumble some more as he pulled it out of his pocket. "What?"

"Hey, David...I'm at Mojo Mocha on the other side of town, you want anything?"

"Zoe, there's a Starbucks down the street, why go to the other side of town?"

"Because it's double-punch/free-flavor day."

"Oh...um, yeah, get me an iced latte."

"Okay...can I get the-"

"No, Zoe, we discussed this. You are not to exceed the thirty-two ounce size...so no, you can not get the sixty-four ounce 'Brewhouse Bravo Bomber'."

"Aw...c'mon...Daviiiiiiid."

"No," David said firmly, praying that Zoe would actually listen to him. "Order one of those and I will freeze your expense card for two weeks."

"Spoilsport," Zoe whined before hanging up.

David closed his phone and sighed. "Okay, crisis averted...super speedster nova is only getting half her usual caffeine intake."

"You act as if you have actual control over the young nova," said a cultured voice.

David spun around and saw a tall man with brown hair wearing a business suit and an overcoat standing there. It took him a moment to register who was talking to him, but the realization made his blood run cold for a moment. However, he was able to keep his tone even. "Actually, Zoe answers to nobody except maybe the person who controls the caffeine." He then cocked his head to one side, a curious look on his face. "No offense, but you always seem a lot more intimidating on television or whenever the Teragen have a press conference."

Divis Mal actually laughed. "Well, it pays to have a PR department that is as good at their job as I am at mine."

"So," said David after a moment of awkward silence. "Why would the leader of the Teragen be bothering with a low level nova like me?"

"Well, for one...you're not really a nova, but you aren't a baseline either." Mal smiled at David as he extended his hand. "You are unique, but after overhearing your conversation with Director Lansing of Project Utopia and your claim of possibly making me...and I quote you on this, 'do the happy dance'...I had to meet you."

David shook the man's hand, not so much out of respect, but more out of fear. Divis Mal was not a man to be trifled with. "So, is this a social call or are you going to ask me to join your cause?"

"From what I've learned about you, David Flynn, we consider you to be more of an ally than an actual threat."

"Wow, that's reassuring. So if I'm not a nova...then what am I exactly?"

"To be honest, we really do not know, David." Mal walked up to a nearby bench that was up against one of the walls and sat down. "Your father...your biological father, was a nova...a level three, possibly a four. We are unsure of what your mother was. However you...are something else, I would say a level five almost on par with myself."

"Um...last time I checked, I don't have nigh-godlike abilities and an organization of supers following me."

"Yes, well...not many novas can mentally link themselves to computerized networks, make lightning fast mental calculations, and create advanced gadgets."

"Well, you can blame my dad...the one that took me in and raised me."

"Ah, the Janitor." Divis Mal smiled as he mentioned David's foster-father. "Quite an odd man, even for a baseline."

"Hey...he may be a baseline, but he's cool."

"Perhaps," said Mal. "But he is still merely one of the mortals...unlike us."

David rolled his eyes. "Oh please...I hope you're not going into the whole 'god among insects' thing. It worked well in the X-Men books and the movies, but please stop sounding like Magneto." He then paused as he thought about something. "Besides, if I actually bought into that stuff, I don't think you'd like the role I'd play in your re-created pantheon."

"And what would that be?"

"Prometheus."

Mal laughed again, obviously amused by the comparison. "You do know what happened to Prometheus as punishment for his crime against Zeus, right?"

"Yeah, tied to a rock and an eagle got an all you-could-eat buffet in the form of his constantly regenerating liver. The problem is, we're not really gods, you're not Zeus, and I'm not Prometheus."

"No," said Mal. "However, I could shut your powers down." Even though his tone was friendly, the implied threat was still there."

"Yeah, you could," said David. "You could make me one of the 'mortals', as you call them. But I'm not the kind to cry too much about that."

"That's an odd reaction." Mal actually seemed confused by David's response. He could sense the boy was telling the truth...losing his powers really wouldn't bother him...but why? "Others would be wary of me, why aren't you?"

"Because you'd be doing me a favor, Divis Mal. You said it yourself, I'm not even really a nova...I was born in a test tube." There was just a bit of bitterness in David's words as he spoke. "I'm a manufactured product...complete with a shelf-life and an expiration date."

"What do you mea-" Mal cut himself off and his eyes widened in realization. "You're dying, aren't you? It's your power...it's killing you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, imagine that," said David, giving the super terrorist leader a sad smile. "And my power is always on...always part of me. On the other hand, you know the old cliché...live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse."

"How long do you have?"

"I figure about 10 years, maybe a couple more if I subject myself to some severe shock treatment that knocks my power off-line for a little bit."

"Perhaps I should shut your powers down."

"Maybe, but you won't." There was a cold gleam in David's eyes that once again surprised Mal. "Not now anyway."

"And what makes you so certain?" asked Mal.

"Because we both know what's coming and you don't seem like the kind of person who will throw away a potential ally and useful tool just because their power is killing them. I may not agree with your group on everything, Mal, but I know what's out there."

"Proteus."

"Yeah...Proteus. You may think yourself a god, Divis Mal...but these people believe it and have gone to great lengths to shore up their power base. And I blame you for that."

"Me? "

"Oh, come on, don't play dumb. The Galatea satellite explosion, it's payload of radiation raining down on the world below."

"It was not my intention-"

"To create a whole new generation of super-powered beings world-wide? Probably not...but you did. Unfortunately, you didn't count on someone stepping up and forming their own little empire so quickly, did you?"

"You have quite an active imagination, boy."

"Maybe I do and, to be honest, I wish it was all just my imagination. Your attempt to play God motivated others to get in the game. And now...we're all gonna' pay for it."

"And the media says I'm being melodramatic," chuckled Mal. "Yes there's a war coming, it's inevitable. The question is, when are you going to wise up and take a side?"

"I have taken a side, Mal...mine. While I do see novas being the next step in human evolution, I don't see us dominating the mundanes like we're gods."

"So you're willing to let them control you?"

"No." David slowly shook his head. "I may just be a punk kid, but I'm not that naive as to think that they'll be willing to play nice. Hell, the director of the NSA would love nothing more than to throw my ass back in the cooler. Until then, I've got to play nice until I take care of some things."

"What kind of things?"

"My father...my biological father...had a lot of assets and I'm trying to get a hold of them. I managed to track down most of his accounts, but I haven't been able to get the jackpot."

"And what might that be?"

"Let's just say it's a real estate deal that is still in progress. Once I get a hold of that, we'll be talking again." David stopped to look at an empty classroom, imagining what it would like once he converted it to a workshop. "But for now, I'll have to be happy with this set-up."

"You do understand calling your organization 'Syndrome Software &Technologies' is just asking for trouble, right?" Mal asked. "Your biological father killed a lot of people."

"Yeah, he did," said David. "But my Dad, the guy who took me in and raised me, taught me to not hide who I am. Sure, I'm taking a risk, but at least people know who I am and where I stand. Even you can appreciate that."

Mal was silent for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "I do...and while your foster parent is a baseline, he apparently taught you the right lesson." He extended his hand towards David again. "You may not side with us, but you are clearly not a threat to us, David Flynn. Perhaps we can do business in the future."

David shook the man's hand again. "I'd like that. Just try not to be so theatrical."

"But that would take the fun out of it," chuckled Mal. "Until next time, Mr. Flynn."

David watched the other man walk away and disappear through the exit at the other end of the corridor. He was actually surprised how well the meeting went. He had expected a meeting with the Teragen, but he didn't think it would be so informal or that it would be with Mal himself. On the other hand, he wasn't fooling himself; he knew that while Mal was being friendly, the Teragen leader was sizing him up and assessing the threat level. David actually respected that...because he would have done the same thing.

But that still didn't stop David from shaking his head and laughing.

"Oh yeah...definitely not Sir Ian McKellen."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Monday Morning Coffee Run & A Proposal**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, just having fun...lot's of fun with this.

Author's Notes: Just adding a little bit more to this chapter before I update the fic with new ones. As usual, a little bit of material from the Aberrant 'verse thrown in at the beginning. Again, it's very scary about how easy these two fandoms mesh together. And...as always, comments and reviews are welcome.

Oh...and Blaze330...THANK YOU for the book!

* * *

_Mazarin–Rashoud Node_

_The Mazarin–Rashoud (M-R) node is a small structure located between the frontal lobes of the brain that is found only in novas, **Homo sapiens novus**. The M-R node acts as a catalyst for novas' control and manipulation of quantum energy forces. As the node develops, it increases in size, taking up progressively more space in the cranial cavity. Relatively little is known about how the M-R node functions. The M-R node is named after Dr. Henri Mazarin and Dr. Farah Rashoud, who first documented its existence in 1998 and received a Nobel prize for their work in 2003._

_See NOVA, QUANTUM FORCES_

Excerpt Encyclopedia Britannica, 2005 Edition

* * *

**Metroville, California**

**Monday 0600**

David always loved to run, he wasn't sure why, but running always seemed to work when it came to clearing his head. He wasn't sure where he got the habit from...whether it was 'programmed' into him or something he acquired after being taken in by his foster-family...he really didn't care. One thing was certain, when he started running for the first time, he knew he wasn't normal. Then again, he always knew he wasn't normal since he first 'woke up' on the island...he knew that the first ten years of his life were a virtual simulation...it didn't _feel_ real until NSA agents pulled him out of that chamber.

But running in the real world, the wind in his face, the pounding of his heart as he jumped down a short flight of steps that opened out into a small plaza...that was real...as were the shouts from some angry people as he jumped onto and then off of a bench before vaulting over a newspaper dispenser.

No...David never did anything 'normal'...not even running. A few years earlier, a friend in school introduced him to the sport of Parkour and free-running. David's naturally fast reflexes and wiry build seemed to mesh perfectly with this activity which made him wonder at times what exactly Buddy Pine was trying to create. Then his nova abilities fully erupted shortly afterwards and that made him appreciate Parkour even more.

Free-running through the constantly changing urban obstacle course known as the city was fun; but being mentally linked to computer networks that gave him a live satellite feed of the surrounding area he was running in while he was looking at it from the ground at the same time...it was fucking awesome!

He cranked up the volume on his MP3 player, smiling as "Butterfly Wings" by Machines of Loving Grace began to play. Then he jumped up to grab the bottom rung of an overhanging ladder from the fire-escape of a nearby building and proceeded to make his way up the fire-escape.

_You can't place faith in material things  
material things will fail you  
a hurricane triggered by a butterfly's wings  
your conspirators betray you_

_Don't place faith in human beings  
human beings are unreliable things  
don't place faith in human beings  
human beings or butterfly's wings_

He ran across the rooftop, jumping to the next building and then on top of a parked delivery truck before dropping to the ground. He ran out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, thankful that not very many people were up this early in the morning. As he continued running down the sidewalk, he thought about the last month and the progress he made on his new "corporate headquarters". Renovating the old school didn't take much effort, the contractors were willing to work pretty fast when enough money was waved in front of them, especially when the construction crew themselves were mostly novas.

No, construction and renovation wasn't the problem, it was the hiring of personnel that caught him off guard. He had scouted out a few potential young people like himself to hire, but nothing prepared him for the wave of applications and résumés that flooded his e-mail and PO Box. Yes, there were quite a few phony résumés filed by people looking to make a quick buck, but a majority of them were actually on the level. What struck him odd though was that the sudden rush off applicants that swarmed him in response to his Youtube ads. And that was a mystery to him because he hadn't put any ads up on Youtube.

That mystery was quickly solved when he checked out one ad in which Syndrome Software & Technologies' "recently appointed" Public Relations Director Zoe Kilmarten explained how SST was looking for young and intelligent talent, human or nova, to sign on. The ad then ended with Public Relations Director Zoe Kilmarten showing off one of David's creations, ending with effective but amusing results which is how all the ads ended. This resulted with a sudden influx of e-mail inquiries, phone calls, and overnight deliveries of résumés along with some almost immediate news coverage. It also brought Agent Dicker and the NSA on his doorstep again with more warnings and threats, but that was about all Dicker could do.

Of course, he also decided to have some choice words with Zoe for appointing herself his PR director (and "borrowing" some of his more dangerous inventions), but changed his mind when the first wave of applicants hit. He had to admit, she obviously had a talent for getting attention, though he wondered how many applicants were lured by the "hot babe with pink hair" as opposed to actually looking for a job. Not that it mattered...her ads got results, and after three weeks of interviews, he hired twenty nine of his initial thirty employees. However, the one person he had hoped to hire on hadn't applied and she didn't return any of his calls or e-mails, but he really couldn't blame her...Violet Parr probably didn't like the idea of the son of an enemy asking her to sign on with his company. He only called her twice and e-mailed her once, figuring it would be best not to push the issue. However, he still wanted her as part of his group. Aside from being highly intelligent and capable of doing the job, Violet's presence would at least give David's company some credibility and get Dicker's goon squad to back off. Besides, David wanted a fail/safe measure in place if things went to hell and Violet Parr was perfect for the job.

The only thing he had to do now was convince her to take the job...and that was going to be more of a challenge than running through the construction site he was now entering. He ignored the shouts from construction workers as he made his way through the area, avoiding various vehicles and jumping across debris before vaulting over the fence and landing back on the sidewalk.

_Don't place faith  
Don't place faith  
When I decide to live in the mind  
the heart dies  
mother superior in the sky  
the heart dies  
the heart dies_

_Don't place faith in human beings  
human beings are unreliable things  
don't place faith in human beings  
human beings or butterfly wings_

He continued to run down the sidewalk...he had at least two more miles to go, then he would pick up a latte and hopefully talk a certain reluctant super heroine into getting out of the current rut she was in.

* * *

**JAVA Junction Espresso**

**Metroville, California**

Violet Parr hated Mondays, especially since it was what she referred to as a "Crunch Day" where she had to work from six in the morning until eleven and then be in classes until five in the evening. Mondays and Wednesdays were "Crunch Days", but Mondays were the worst. It also didn't help that she and Dash were doing "the hero thing" with the New Crusaders over the weekend. Apparently, Redline, the resident speedster on the Crusaders had taken some time off, so they requested help from the Incredibles to 'fill in'. Dash was way too willing to sign on, but Violet had her own reservations...however, her father felt it would be better if she were there to keep an eye on Dash and make sure her brother didn't get into too much trouble.

So...Spectrum and Speed Demon spent the weekend dealing with a whacked out villain on a crime spree. What was unnerving was that the villain, some young hyper-kinetic teen calling himself 'Breakdown' just wouldn't shut up...even when he was captured. In the end, it was her, not Dash that had lost control and punched Breakdown out, knocking him out cold. Her actions got her a stern lecture from the Crusaders and her parents about why it's not right to "beat on perps in custody".

Violet sighed and shook her head as she poured herself a cup of coffee. For once, she was happy to be working at her 'civilian' job at a drive up espresso stand away from her family and the crazy life that came with being a super. Oh, she had no problems with being a superhero...but being a superhero didn't exactly pay the bills or help her get her college degree. Her father offered to get her a job at the insurance company he worked for, but that meant basically working the phones, or worse, being a glorified secretary fetching coffee. She turned it down and said she would rather look for work on her own.

So here she was...making, but not fetching, coffee at an espresso stand early in the morning. The irony was not lost on her...but it did help pay some of her bills. She couldn't help laughing at the situation and shook her head.

"Well, it could be worse," she said to herself.

"Yeah," said a voice behind her. "You could be talking to yourself, but you should really worry when you start getting responses."

She turned around to look at the drive-up window to find a young man about her age standing at the window. "Sorry," she said as she walked up to the window, a little embarrassed. "Just thinking out loud to mysel...you!"

Embarrassment gave way to guarded anger when she recognized who was standing at the window. She had never met him personally, though he had called her twice and e-mailed her about working for him. Ever since she heard about how he literally walked right up to her family's front door, she was on her guard, waiting for this bastard to confront her.

"What do you want, Pine?"

"Um...an English Toffee Latte, twenty-four ounce." His response to her growled question caught her off guard. She was expecting him to be acting more like 'Syndrome Jr.' or something like that. But instead, his reaction almost seemed...normal. "Oh, and um...are those real homemade ginger-snap cookies?"

Again, caught off guard, Violet hesitated. "Uh, yeah."

_Oh yeah, Violet, really smooth there. Come on! He's a super villain for crying out loud!_

"Cool," said David Flynn as he pulled a ten dollar bill out of his pocket. "So...would it help if I told you that I'm only here for the coffee and to talk to you for a little bit?"

"I'm working."

"Uh, yeah, I can see that...it does help if you turn the machine on though."

Violet tried not to growl as she turned the espresso machine on. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Enjoying what?"

"Making me feel uncomfortable."

"Maybe just a little." He gave her a tiny grin...one that she had seen before eight years earlier on the face of someone else...the boy's father. That smug semi-evil boyish grin...except he didn't have that dark malevolence in his eyes like Syndrome did. An awkward silence came over both of them, broken only by the sound of the espresso machine. A couple minutes later, Violet handed David Pine his drink.

The young man took a sip of his latte, closing his eyes and savoring the taste. "Oh yeah...there we go, caffeine, sugar, and milk...a mandatory breakfast."

"So why are you here, Pine?" Violet asked, this time with not quite as much Venom.

"It's David, actually, and I prefer the last name of Flynn. Buddy Pine may be my biological father, but that's about as far as it goes. As for why I'm here...would you believe it if I said I came here to drool over the hot goth-chick that works the morning shift?"

"If it were any other guy, yes. And I'm not a goth...it's just a natural look for me. Besides, if you were drooling over me, my father would throw you into the next state."

David shuddered at that thought. "Don't remind me. Okay...here's the truth. I did come here for a latte, but I also wanted to know why you haven't considered my job offer."

"Oh...yeah, that. Hmm, let's see here." Violet paused for a moment, pretending to be lost in thought. "Oh, that's right, you, the son of Syndrome, want me to sign on with your company, Syndrome Software and Technologies, knowing full well that my family has a deep hatred for your father who happens to be...oh yeah...Syndrome and he tried to kill us."

"Yeah...well, he's been dead for eight years so I don't think he's going to be much of a problem."

"But you're here now...and you're trying to hire me. Why? Because of some sick and twisted revenge scheme?"

"Is that what you think?" David sounded genuinely hurt. "You think this is about revenge? I'm not my father. Sure I may have inherited his intelligence and some of his genetics, but that's as far as things go with him...I hope."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Violet when she saw him shudder slightly again.

"I've seen pictures of my father as Syndrome. If I ever end up with a bad case of 80s hair like that, I hope someone does kill me."

Despite herself, Violet found herself trying not to explode...the sudden urge to laugh was threatening to break her composure. Then she mentally imagined what David Flynn would look like if he had 80s hair...and she lost control.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Hey," snapped David. "That's not funny! I take the threat of 80s hair and genetic sanity very seriously."

After a couple more seconds, Violet managed to stop laughing. Then she remembered some old 80s rock video from watching MTV classics one late night. "And I raaaaaaan," she sang, "I ran so far awaaaaaay..."

"Oh c'mon, I'm trying to be serious here."

"Sorry," Violet giggled. "It's just...I never saw that before, but when you bring it up it certainly changes how you view a person." Then she remembered why he was here and it her amusement faded. "What do you want?"

"You already asked that and the answer is you. I want you..." David suddenly stopped when he realized what he was saying. "Oh wait...that didn't sound right."

Violet arched an eyebrow. "You got that right."

"Look, I did some checking up on your grades. You're majoring in computer science and math...you're smart, right at the top, and I think you could do better than working here."

"What's wrong with working here and making my own way?"

"Nothing...it's just that you're trying too hard to be normal." David leaned against the window ledge. "Look, people like us...novas...we're never going to be normal. No matter what we do, what we say, or what we believe, people will view us as freaks or something that needs to be controlled or contained. However, that doesn't mean we should go to the other extreme and act like gods. I guess the trick is to reach some sort of balance. But I guess the real question is this...do you really like where you are? I mean, even if you didn't take my job offer, you could easily land a better pay job than this."

"Maybe I am happy here."

"Yeah, if you say so," said David, obviously not buying Violet's response. "I'm offering you a chance to be something more and, despite what you may believe, it's not some elaborate revenge scheme or out of guilt for what Syndrome did. I'm asking you to sign on because I think you'd make a good VP."

"What?" Violet almost choked. "What did you say?"

"You heard me...vice president, second-in-command, my right hand. You've got the smarts and ability for the job."

"What about your girlfriend?"

"Ah...Zoe...yeah...well let's talk about that for a moment. First off, she's not exactly my girlfriend...yet...that's complicated and...wait a second, that has nothing to do with-"

"Wow, Dad was right, you are sweet on her."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am...no...we're not playing that game."

Violet smirked at him. "Oh my god...your face is actually turning red. Well, you proved one thing."

"And that would be?"

"You definitely aren't your father."

"Finally," David sighed. "You're actually accepting that fact."

"But I'm not going to take your job offer."

"Why not? I gave you some good reasons."

"Yeah," said Violet, her tone becoming more serious. "But you didn't give me your real reason, did you?"

"Okay, fine you want some real solid reasons, here we go. First off, you have a conscience and I need someone there to pull me back and smack me around with some common sense now and then. Zoe, I'm sorry to say, is not that person. I make myself an ionized plasma launcher just for fun, and she's the first one there begging to be the one to test fire it before I've even finished doing safety checks on it. You've seen those Youtube videos. It's like those old Ratchet and Clank commercials except for real."

"You should do a better job of locking things up."

"I do, but she's savvy enough to figure the keypad combinations...then again, being faster than your brother allows her to manually try every keypad combination in a matter of minutes."

"She's a speedster?"

"Yep."

"I'm sorry, I can feel for you on that one."

"Yeah, well, for some reason she's decided to become my sidekick...though she's more like a kick in my side...but hey, she's mostly harmless and thankfully she's still in high school for most of the day." David paused for a moment, lost in thought as he pondered what he was about to say next. "Then there's the other reason you should take my offer. It's an ugly one, but let's not beat around the bush about it."

"Okay," said Violet. "Interesting dramatic build-up there...so spit it out already."

"Accepting my job offer will allow your family and, by extension, Agent Dicker and the NSA a chance to keep an eye on me. After all, as far as you people are concerned, I am 'Son of Syndrome' or 'Syndrome Jr.', or, my personal favorite, 'Syndrome 2.0 with double the intelligence, only a fraction of the insanity, and with a new minty fresh scent'. You people can't afford to pass up an opportunity like this. I'm just being open and up front about it."

Many things went through Violet's mind as she considered David's words. He was right...her family, reluctantly, would want her to take the job to keep an eye on him. Agent Dicker would definitely go for the idea of having someone on the inside. And yet another part of her wondered if this open and upfront approach was an elaborate scheme to get her family to lower their guard. But while those thoughts were warring with each other, another one came to the forefront and broke the tension, though she wish she hadn't said it out loud.

"Did you just compare yourself to a bar of soap?" she asked.

David nodded before hanging his head in mock shame. "Yes I did," he said. Then he smiled and looked up at her. "But seriously, I'm being honest with you here. All the reasons I gave you were legitimate reasons, especially the last two. I didn't want to keep bugging you at home or calling you, because then your family would probably get annoyed and I would probably end up taking the 'Air-Bob' express to Utah. I only personally approached you now because we're going to be opening to the public in the next month."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card which he handed to her. "All I'm asking is that you at least consider it, okay?"

Violet cautiously took the card from him, pausing to look at the glossy SST logo. "You know," she said, "my family would be upset about this, but you're right."

"Yeah, well...I'm right some of the time." David took another sip of his latte and then finished off his ginger snap cookie. "The other times...well, I try to fake it."

"I'm not sure I would advertise that in public if I were you," Violet said with a smirk on her face.

"So...about my offer?"

"Well, you told me to consider it...so give me some time, okay?"

David nodded at her, then finished off the rest of his latte and tossed the cup into the trash. "In that case, I hope to hear from you." He then turned and walked away, breaking into a slow run as when he started to cross the street.

Violet looked back down at the card in her hand, thinking about the conversation she just had. She hadn't told her parents that David Flynn had contacted her about a job. And she had to admit that most of David's comments hit their mark. She had expected him to be a 'Syndrome Jr.', but that was not the person she had been talking to. David Flynn struck her as being an open, funny and, dammit, almost likable person. Hell, if she hadn't known who he was, she might have actually thought of him as cute.

_Ewwww!_ _Girl, snap out of it! Son of Syndrome...not a cute guy. Not cute, not hot, not anything._

However, his other comments, the more serious ones were dead on target.

_But why did you approach me, David? Did you actually mean what you said, or is this part of some diabolical scheme? Shit...now I'm starting to sound like Mom and Dad..._

The buzzer went off, signaling that a car was pulling up to the window. Violet recognized the SUV as one of her early morning regulars...a middle-aged business woman who ordered a Halzelnut Mocha and a raspberry scone. As she started to slip in her regular routine, she still couldn't help looking at the business card that was now sitting on the counter next to the espresso machine.

"_Nothing...it's just that you're trying too hard to be normal."_

"Damn you, Flynn," Violet grumbled as she continued to make up the order, knowing full well that the conversation she had with him would plague her the rest of the day.

_I really hate Mondays..._

* * *

Brian Paladino watched quietly from the top of an office building as David Flynn continued his run. As the scope zoomed in on Flynn, Brian fought the urge to pull the trigger.

_It would be so easy,_ he thought. _Pull the trigger now and the bastard dies._

He could feel his finger start to tighten around the trigger of his high-powered rifle.

_So easy...even without the scope, I can still put one right through his heart._

"Hey!"

Brian looked up to see a young purple-haired woman slowly descend from the sky and cursed under his breath. "This is a waste of time, Lydia."

Lydia shook her head. "Let it go, bro. We take him down now, the NSA will investigate it and may be able to track it back to us."

"Fuck the NSA, sis!" Brian began to disassemble the rifle. "They didn't do shit for us when Dad was murdered. All Dicky did was show up for the memorial service, said he was 'sorry' for our loss, and left us with nothing. Now the son of the bastard who killed Dad is not only walking around, he's bringing back the company Dad was investigating before he died!"

Lydia Paladino sighed and shook her head. She could understand her brother's anger...hell, she shared it. But thankfully, she wasn't nearly as hotheaded as he was.

"No," she said. "We have to wait this out. He's attracted too much attention and it's not time yet."

"What...eight years wasn't long enough for you?"

Lydia's eyes flared up, glowing a bright red for a moment before returning to their normal brown color. "That was low, Brian...even for you."

Brian lowered his head slightly. "I'm sorry, sis...it's just...I thought this was dead and buried, we were moving on...and now this punk comes out of nowhere and brings it all back."

Lydia gave her younger brother a hug. "I know, Bri...but we're going to take care of it together...okay?"

Brian nodded, finished disassembling the rifle and putting it back in its case. Lydia took a look at the case and widened as she recognized the insignia on the side. "That's a Project Utopia logo," she said.

Brian grinned at her. "Of course it is...you really think I would risk the attack being traced to us?"

Lydia couldn't help returning the smile...her brother wasn't quite as hotheaded as she thought. "Wow, you actually put some thought into this?"

"A little bit," Brian replied. "But you're right...it's not time yet." He then looked down and across the city, his enhanced eyesight locking onto David Flynn as he ran through a city intersection, barely avoiding being hit by a couple cars on their morning commute. "Although, at the rate he's going, I just hope the bastard doesn't off himself first before we punch his ticket."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Outed**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the slow update...had a hell of a time writing Zoe. For some reason, she's a tough character for me to write. Anyway, here's chapter 6. I hope you like it. As always, reviews/comments/criticisms/threats are welcomed (well, maybe not the threats...). Still can't believe I'm working on this crazy monster...but hey, it works. For those of you who might be interested...a certain annoying character from the movie shows up in this chapter...and bad news...she will not be going away.

I know I've said this before, but as far as the time line goes: I had the movie take place in '98, this takes place eight years later.

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything. White Wolf (or somebody out there, but it's not me) owns Aberrant, though it looks like it's been abandoned (and you can find some of the source material for free on the internet). Incredibles is the twisted world created by Brad Bird who would probably kill me for warping his creations (actually, he'd probably just sue me). Oh yeah...Disney/Pixar and some comic book company owns the rights to them too.

Special Thanks, Accusations and Pleas for Mercy: Blaze 330 for giving me the source book. Pedro "Dagger" Martinez for helping me get the other books in PDF format (and a kick-ass teammate for Unreal Tournament). Nick...I doubt you'll read this, but I blame you for this...you're the one who introduced me to Aberrant and set up this idea...it's all your fault. And finally, Shannon K...the person who is mostly responsible for cracking the whip over my head via Yahoo messenger and telling me to stop goofing off and keep writing...Shannon, you can put the whip down now...please.

* * *

"_Rashoud" Facilities? Recruiting facilities is more like it._

_Does anyone out there honestly think that this lab, or the ones that are supposed to follow it, are set up by Project "Utopia" out of the goodness of its heart? That it just has the welfare of the people of the world at stake? If so, then I've got a bridge to sell you over in Brooklyn._

_Isn't it obvious what they're doing? Can't you see it? **They're building an army**. Project Utopia controls more novas than any other group on the planet – even the US government. Each one of these novas is stronger, faster, and more powerful than battalion of soldiers. And now they've set up a "recruiting station" right down on 5th Avenue._

_And God help us, we're letting them do it._

_We're letting them build their little cadres of super-warriors with our own brothers and sisters. When the time comes they'll roll over us like a car squashing a bug._

_Letting them set up their "satellite lab" here in the city is just the first step towards Armageddon. Wake up, people! We've got to get rid of that "lab" now and not let them build anymore. If anyone should be recruiting American novas, it should be the American government._

From a letter to the editor published in the New York Times, January 12, 1999.

* * *

_**Metroville, California**_

_**Monday 1100**_

Zoe Kilmarten was bored. She hated Mondays, they signaled the end of the weekend, the beginning of yet ANOTHER week of hell at the illustrious institution known as Metroville High School. She couldn't help wondering. At sixteen, she was starting to wonder if high school was created as a form of imprisonment for kids. Maybe if she were an air-headed cheerleader-type or an athlete, she probably would have fit in, but that wasn't her style. Besides, having the ability of super-speed kind of put a damper on her trying out for school sports.

"That would be abusing your powers," her parents told her.

Oh yeah...it would be abusing her powers; but if that were true, why was that asshole Dashiell Parr getting away with it?

"We're not the Parrs," said her mother. "It's not our fault that they're irresponsible parents. If they want to be under constant surveillance, that's their choice."

Zoe was angry with that argument for a few years, until she realized her mother was right. Whenever Dashiell Parr participated at a school sporting event, she noticed some men in suits watching him and the rest of the Parr family. Then again, Dash was also the teen hero known as "Speed Demon", which meant the suits had good reason to watch him. Thanks to her parents, Zoe stayed out of the "hero game" and had a "normal" life...well, as normal a life one could have with one parent being a super-hero and the other parent teaching at a private academy for young novas. Her parents had gone to great lengths to give her that "normal" life and, in a way, it was worth it. She wasn't being watched by the NSA's "Men in Black", and because she wasn't on the government's radar, it gave her some freedom. It was kind of nice being able to run around the world when no one was looking, though her mother frowned on that when Zoe lost track of time when she decided to leave school during lunch break and go to Hawaii. She ended up skipping the rest of the day which led to her being grounded when her parents found out. However, that was no big deal...her parents were hardly home except in the mornings and evenings, so being "grounded" basically meant being home during the evening hours and on the weekends for a couple weeks.

However, her "normal" life changed when she met David this last summer. She never believed in fate, but running into him at Royal Burger was something that she marked down as one of those events that could change a person's life forever. Why he was working at that place, she had no clue, but he had later told her that he was only there because he needed a few months to kick back, be "normal", and think about where he wanted to go with his life. She had just been hired on and was going through her first day of orientation and watching an instructional video that was mandatory of all fast food workers. She could have sworn that her IQ had dropped ten points after watching the video.

Then she was introduced to David by Clarence, the restaurant manager who seemed a little too eager to hire her on. She wasn't sure, but she suspected the 30-something manager was checking her out when her back was turned. Her suspicions were confirmed later when David quietly gave her some some important advice a few minutes later: "Get the hell out of here while you can, the damn perv is already mentally taking your clothes off."

She thought he was joking, then she noticed Clarence sneaking off with one of the front-counter girls to the supply room in the back. A quick look via super-speed, and she took off to contact the authorities. When she returned a half-hour later, there were already a couple local news vans outside the restaurant, along with a couple fire-trucks and two police cars. From what she was able to gather, there was an argument between an employee and the owners of the restaurant, and then all the cash registers and service monitors suddenly exploded. She saw Clarence the manager and an older couple in handcuffs being escorted to waiting police cars and a smirking David who simply shrugged at her and then walked away.

She then ran into him a month later in the middle of the summer. She had found a job in that other prison for teenagers known as the shopping mall. This time, she was working at Build-a-Bear and she liked it...though her employers were a little scared by her own personal creation: "The Death Metal Bear"...complete with real spikes and piercings. It surprised her that David showed up to talk to her, especially since they had only met briefly the first time at Royal Burger. Then he surprised her by offering her a job. After an intense contract negotiation (that included a small pay advance, three mochas, and a laptop), Zoe agreed to sign on with David's company. And in the last couple months, she spent most of her time creating "promotional" videos for Syndrome Software and Technologies, putting them up on Youtube and attracting potential employees. She actually didn't mind doing that...especially since she got to play with some of David's "toys", though David decided to lock up his inventions afterwards. She was a little upset over that, but it was hard to remain angry when he gave her a puppy.

However, the videos were a success and attracted many promising job applicants, but what neither she or David had expected was her becoming something of a celebrity. Within a week after posting the first two videos, she was known as "The hot pink haired chick who kept blowing things up". It was kind of fun at first, but it also attracted the negative kind of attention in the form of the National Supers Agency personnel tracking her and placing surveillance vehicles around the new SST headquarters. The damn MIBs even dragged her in for questioning, one of them going so far as to say that David might be evil. She really hated that agent, typical MIB bureaucrat...she felt no remorse when she slashed his tires after she left the building (though she wasn't sure which government car was his, so she slashed them all).

Her parents weren't too keen on her new career, though her father was happy that she had found something more worthwhile than flipping burgers or working a crappy retail job. Her mother, on the other hand, was a bit more cautious after learning about David's background from Director Dicker of the NSA. Zoe found that odd since her mother had once been a criminal. Having gotten to know David over the last few months, she didn't think he was the "villain" type. Sure, David had a dark and vindictive side, but who didn't these days?

Unfortunately, her new job as David's PR director (yes, it was self-appointed, but David didn't seem to mind and even paid her) did not prevent her from attending school. On the upside, it was her senior year and, having been deemed intelligent enough to skip a grade, it meant she only had one more year of teen hell before it was over. However, even though she skipped a grade, her teachers still treated her as if she were some freak of nature. Then again, she didn't exactly fit the mold that most teachers expected of a kid who was smart enough to skip a grade. After all, those kind of kids tend not to have spiky pink hair and don't dress like they're going to a heavy metal concert.

It also didn't help that she got distracted too easily in class. There were several times when she would be working on her calculus in the middle of her English Lit class. In fact, it was almost common for her to bring books from one class and not the one she was supposed to have brought with her. Some teachers often wondered how she even managed to skip a grade while others considered the possibility that she might have some sort of attention deficit disorder. She couldn't explain to them that she had already read through the material and it was agonizing for her to do things at normal speed, but she also realized that doing her homework in under five minutes after it was given out would attract attention. So...she had a reputation of being a little "scattered-brained" at times...it really wasn't that big a deal. Unfortunately, it also left her with very few friends at school and even the so called geeks and 'outcasts' she associated with sometimes saw her as being a little weird.

But David changed all that. For some reason, they clicked. Yes, he was something of a geek, but he didn't fit the standard stereotype. She wasn't sure why...maybe it was because he was a nova just like herself, but that couldn't be it. Dashiell Par was a nova, he even had powers similar to hers, but he was an asshole. No...David was something different...there was some sort of attraction, that was true, but she wasn't sure if it was just friendship or something more. Sure, they joked about her eighteenth birthday, but David didn't chase after her, though he would occasionally have a slip of the tongue (mostly because Zoe would goad him into saying something stupid), but she sensed that there always might be a little bit of truth there. She occasionally asked him about it, but he told her that they were "just friends", though the denial seemed to be only half sincere. However, he did tell her that one of the reasons he didn't get too close to her was because she "wasn't quite legal". She informed him that was no big deal, he was only a couple years older and not a creepy perv like Clarence.

"True," he had told her. "But you also have a very protective uncle who wouldn't hesitate to use my soul as toiler paper if I even tried anything before your eighteenth."

"So...you do want me," she teased him.

"Yes...er..no," he stammered. One of the few times he actually looked like a flustered geek...and she actually thought it was cute when David was caught off guard. "That's not exactly true...we're just friends..."

"Uh-huh...eighteenth-" she was cut off as he put a finger to her lips and he shook his head.

"Uh-uh...not this time."

"Aw...you're no fun."

"What can I say? I'm a mega-geek," he said. "I'm a boring person."

Zoe shook her head as her mind returned to the present. They had that conversation over the weekend, and even she wondered sometimes about their relationship. Yes, there was definitely some sort of attraction, but David seemed willing to wait until she was "legal". She actually found that kind of sweet, but she also wondered if she truly had any feelings for him as anything other than a friend. Was she that desperate? Did she really want to throw herself to the first person who actually talked to her as an equal...or at least as a real human being?

_Girl, get a hold of yourself! You're not supposed to be thinking about this...at least not now!_

Zoe sighed and looked at her watch. It was a little after eleven in the morning and she had decided to skip her chemistry class...not that it mattered, because today was a "lab day" and Mr. Shelby had banned her from participating in the experiments and sent her off to the library to study the next couple chapters. Apparently, she still wasn't forgiven for nearly blowing up the classroom in the previous year.

So here she was, strolling through the downtown area. She paused outside a Starbucks, mentally debating whether she wanted a frappuccino or a latte when "I Am Sound" by the Dandy Warhols interrupted her thoughts. She sighed and shook her head as she pulled her phone out her pocket, wondering why the hell David chose that to be his ring-tone...the song was annoying.

"Pizza Hut," she said.

"Very funny, Zoe...so what are you up to?"

"Oh, not much, I'm in between classes right now...hanging out in the library."

"Yeah, riiiiiiight," laughed David. "I wasn't aware the library was inside a Starbucks."

"What the-" Zoe paused and looked up in the sky for a moment. "You're watching me on satellite, aren't you?"

"Yep, for the moment at least. So, why aren't you in school?"

"Chemistry class," said Zoe. "It's a lab day and I'm not allowed there."

"Ah, I guess that means you're still not forgiven."

"No, I guess not. I really don't know why...I mean, it's not like I burned down the school."

"Oh no, of course not." David's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Zoe, you tend to scare people."

"But I'm harmless."

"Yeah, right. So you going to head back to school?"

"After I get my mocha-frappuccino...so how did your meeting with Emo-Girl go?"

"Zoe," David warned. "Be nice...and I think she'll take the job."

"Hey, I'll be nice when she takes the job," said Zoe.

"Zoe...are you jealous?"

_A little_, she thought...though she couldn't figure out why. "No," she lied.

"You're lying."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Eighteenth Birthday?"

"Nice try, but I'm not going to fall for that this time."

"Killjoy." Then Zoe's face broke out in an evil grin as she thought of something. "So, whatcha' doing?"

"Right now, I'm heading to LA...going to see Neil."

"Wow...you can drive and watch me on satellite at the same time?"

"Hey, it's kind of hard not to do when your brain can jack into the net."

"So tell me...David, do you watch me when I wake up in the morning at my home? And how good is the resolution on those satellites?"

"Not funny, Zoe!"

"Oh c'mon...you like to keep tabs on me, right? You're telling me that you've never been tempted to 'jack in' and watch me?"

"No..."

Zoe didn't suppress the evil giggle. "That's a weak denial, David."

"Good-bye, Zoe...I'll see you later."

Zoe was still laughing when she put the phone back in her pocket. David was probably one of the most level-headed people she ever met. He was smart, always had a plan, and he really wasn't that bad looking for a self-confessed geek. But she really loved the fact that she was one of the few people who could throw him off his game.

_But that's because he likes you...sort of._

She forced that last thought away, thinking more about her venti mocha frappuccino. She hated thinking deeply about something when low on caffeine. A few minutes later, she was walking out of Starbucks with the aforementioned mocha frappuccino in hand.

"Ah...caffeine, chocolate, and caramel...my good friends." She licked her lips in anticipation, ignoring the strange looks she got from people who overheard her. "It's been so long since we were last together...a whole three hours in fact." She took a long pull off her drink, closing her eyes for a moment and savoring the taste. "Mmmmm...oh yeah...much better."

"Damn, girl...you planning on drinking that or having sex with it?"

Zoe opened her eyes and saw a strange man wearing some sort of body armor and standing on what looked like a snowboard with booster jets underneath it, hovering in the air. The patrons that were sitting at the tables outside Starbucks ran for cover. A strange looking man in sinister looking armor and riding a rocket powered snowboard basically screamed "SUPERVILLAIN!", which got the standard 'run for your life' reaction from most innocent bystanders.

But Zoe wasn't a bystander and she was hardly innocent (although she had yet to be convicted of anything). Instead, Zoe, being Zoe, did what simply came naturally in a situation like this...she took another sip of her drink and stared at the strange man in front of her, tilting her head to one side as if she were trying to look at him from a different angle.

"What, you're not going to run?" asked the man.

"Um, I don't know," said Zoe. "Is there some reason I should be running?"

"Well, I am here to kidnap you."

"Really?" Zoe took another sip of her frappuccino. "And is there some reason why I'm being kidnapped by some guy who looks like the Green Goblin from Spiderman 3?"

"Green Goblin? What are you talking about?"

"Um...let's see. Hover-board, green body armor, funky goggles...what did you do, steal stuff from the Sony Studios props department?"

"What!?" The armored figure, though his face was concealed, hesitated. It was obvious that Zoe's reaction was not what he expected. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Bomber!"

"Who?"

"You haven't heard of me?"

Zoe shook her head. "Um...no...not really."

"Oh, the hell with this," said Bomber as he brought up some sort of launcher and fired it at Zoe.

Time suddenly began to slow down for Zoe...or at least that's what it seemed like whenever she kicked in her super-speed. The weird net thingie that the strange man fired at her was slowly starting to open up a few feet in front of her. She simply stepped out of the way and slipped back into normal speed, still sipping her frappuccino as the net slammed into a nearby table.

"What the hell!"

"Um, you missed?"

"I can see that...how did you do that?" Bomber shrugged and then pulled out a couple small blue spheres. "Doesn't matter, guess we do this the hard way." He tossed the stun-bombs at the girl, only to see her suddenly vanish again, the stunners going off and blowing out the front windows of the cafe.

* * *

Dashiell Parr, high-school senior, all-star athlete, and the part time superhero known as Speed-Demon, yawned as he strolled down the street, not caring where he was going. He knew he should be in school, but since today was deemed a study day by his World Events teacher, and they were spending most of it in the library, it was easy for him to sneak out via super-speed and take an early lunch. He knew his parents would be pissed at him for skipping class, but this time he wasn't cutting class to go hang out somewhere...he needed time to think. He had talked to Violet an hour earlier and he wasn't sure he wanted to go home knowing that the there was a crisis just waiting to blow up in his face.

Apparently, Syndrome's bastard, after showing up a couple months ago on their doorstep, finally approached Violet this morning and offered her a job. She hadn't made up her mind, but she wanted to talk to the rest of the family about it.

_Oh yeah_, he thought to himself, _I so want to be there for that discussion...not!_

Then again, Violet had become a little bit more...well, he didn't want to use the wordy "bitchy", because Violet had always been like that since he could remember. However, she had gotten a little bit more...aggravating...since Tony broke up with her and then disappeared. It had been nearly two years, but Violet took it hard, which wasn't entirely a bad thing since she took on more of a sharper edge when it came to being a superhero. She ditched the "Invisigirl" persona in favor of the more adult sounding "Spectrum", even went to a different costume.

Their parents simply assumed Violet was simply "growing up" and was trying to be her own person, but Dash noticed that Violet, the one who tended to think things through before acting, was getting a little more aggressive in her approach to the "hero job". Not that he didn't mind, he kind of enjoyed hanging out with the more "active" and more "risk-taking" persona his sister had adopted. But when she wasn't playing hero, she simply withdrew from everyone, claiming that it was because she was studying or working. She had moved out of the house and into one of the university dorms a year ago, and aside from the occasional "hero emergency" or every other weekend, they didn't see much of her.

Then there was the incident last week when he and Vi temporarily teamed up with the American Crusaders, one of the better known super teams in the US, and Violet proceeded to beat one of the villains to a pulp. On the other hand, Dash couldn't blame her...Breakdown, being a psionic, obviously got into Vi's head and said some harsh words that he knew would piss her off.

He had never seen her lose control like that...but it was kind of cool, and scary, to see what Violet could actually do with basic Aikido moves and her forcefields. And to be honest, Breakdown did have it coming, but that didn't stop them from getting the "lecture" about control from members of the Crusaders and their parents.

And now, there was this "David Flynn/Syndrome Jr." issue. From what Dash had seen of the guy on the local newscasts, he didn't like him. The whole "son trying to atone for his father's sins" thing didn't sway Dash one bit. As far as he was concerned, David Flynn was bad news and it was even worse when he learned that the bastard was linked to someone who went to his own school...Zoe Kilmarten.

Dash never had a problem with, Zoe, not personally anyway. Although, he did see her as something of a freak; her spiky pink hair, her piercings, and flaky personality made it very easy for Dash to place her in the group of "freaks 'n geeks" that he loved to torment. He never did anything to her, but he had stuffed many of her friends in lockers during his time at high school. And yet, despite being something of a flake, Zoe was not intimidated by Dash or his friends. Most of the time, she would simply look at them, usually with a mocha (or some caffeine loaded drink) in her hand, give them an evil grin, then take a sip of her drink before walking off. To say that Zoe's reactions were strange would have been an understatement.

Dash remembered a particularly nasty event last year when one of his fellow jocks, Dean Rallis, thought it would be funny to knock Zoe's drink out of her hand, spilling the drink all over her. At that moment, Dash knew a line had been crossed...he wasn't sure how he knew, maybe it was the look in the girl's eyes...but a switch had been flipped somewhere. A couple hours later, Dean was involved in a small accident in the school parking lot...somehow, all the lug-nuts on his tires had been removed, but the school cameras didn't show anyone messing with Dean's car. But later, when Dash was heading home after track practice, he saw Zoe Kilmarten leaning against a nearby wall, listening to her I-Pod and twirling a socket wrench.

His other fellow jocks also experienced "minor accidents" the rest of that week. Joey Taggert found Cuddles, the python from the school's biology lab, in his locker, causing him to wet his pants and scream like a girl. Tyler Morgan was "accidentally" mildly electrocuted in metal shop, giving him an instant afro that didn't go away for a few days. And Todd Brinkman...

Dash shuddered at what happened to Brinkman, because it clearly wasn't an accident. The poor bastard was found stripped down to his underwear and duct-tapped to one of the goal-posts on the football field. It was worse for Brinkman, because he had a high amount of body hair for his age and his screams could be heard as they tried to take the tape off him. But what bothered Dash the most was when they were loading Brinkman into an ambulance, he saw Zoe standing there in the crowd, sipping her mocha, and acting as if she were watching a mildly interesting television program. She looked up at him and smiled, holding up all five fingers, slowly closing them as if she were counting down until only her index finger was left, which she pointed at him like it was an imaginary gun and pretended to fire it at him. Dash had decided to stay away from the girl after that, and there hadn't been any more problems.

Now that crazy girl was working with "Syndrome Jr.". He saw those Youtube videos and was horrified, but not surprised, to learn that yes...that was Zoe Kilmarten firing off what appeared to be high tech weaponry of some sort. And she was STILL attending this school! He was certain that she knew he was a super, but she didn't say or do anything that threatened his secret identity.

And now "Syndrome Jr." was trying to get his sister to sign on. Oh yeah, dinner at the Parr house was going to be a meltdown.

_Hmm...maybe something will happe-_

A loud explosion snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked down the street to see people diving for cover. Then he saw her...Zoe Kilmarten...standing in front of a Starbucks shouting at...

"Oh crap," Dash groaned. "I really didn't need this right now."

He quickly bolted down an alley, going to super-speed as he changed into his costume. He recognized the man on the hover-board...Bomber, the son of former super-villain Bomb Voyage.

_Oh yeah_, he decided, _today is a crappy day_.

* * *

"Hey!" shouted Zoe, who was now standing behind Bomber, still holding her drink. "Now look at what you've done."

"What I've done?" Bomber shook his head. "Look, this was supposed to be a standard 'snatch and grab'. My employer pays me to grab you, I deliver you, I get paid. No one said anything about you being a nova."

"And why are you trying to snatch me?"

"None of your business, now just shut up, be a good hostage, and just come along. I want to get this done in time to catch a South Park Marathon."

"South Park?" Zoe said as she dodged another net from the launcher. "What kind of super-villain are you?"

"A working one." Bomber took off after the girl who started to run down the street. "Oh c'mon...for crying out loud, you're making this harder for both of-ach!"

A red and black blur caught Bomber in the chest, knocking him off his hoverboard. He jumped back up to his feet, pulling out a couple curved blades from his belt. "Okay...whoever just hit me is in for a world of hurt," he snarled. Then he stopped short when he saw who had hit him and smiled. "Speed Demon!"

"Bomber," Dash deadpanned.

"Oh c'mon, D," said Bomber as he threw one of the throwing blades at the hero. "I shouted out your name, you have to shout mine. I mean, we're still bitter enemies, right?"

Dash shrugged, his tone almost as friendly as Bomber's. "Yeah, pretty much," he said as he caught the blade and threw it back, causing the villain to duck for cover behind a car. "But I'm just not in the mood today...sorry." The blade ripped off the roof of the car before impacting the building behind it and exploding, causing Dash to raise an eyebrow. "Now that was new," he said. "You got new toys, didn't you?"

"It's amazing what you can find on E-Bay, these days." Bomber rolled out from behind the car and threw a silver ball at the hero. "Think fast."

The ball suddenly exploded, blinding Dash and causing him to try to cover his eyes..a mistake he instantly regretted as he felt someone kick him in the gut. He felt his back slam into a wall before he dropped to the ground. Though he was in pain and a little dazed, he kept blinking, hoping he could get his vision back, but all he could see were flickering shadows. He tried to get up and was rewarded for his efforts by a kick to the ribs that sent him sprawling across the pavement.

"No, please...just stay down on the ground, D," Bomber taunted. "As always, you got cocky and got taken down by a simple trick." He kicked Dash again and chuckled. "I'd love to continue beating the shit out of you, Demon, but I'm on a tight schedule." He pulled a couple of capsules off his utility belt and threw them at Dash's legs. The capsules exploded, releasing a sticky liquid that instantly solidified when it landed on Dash, effectively trapping his legs. "In the meantime, stick around."

Bomber then straightened up to look for Zoe...only to suddenly get knocked backwards by his own hover-board as it slammed into him, knocking him off his feet and throwing him into a brick wall across the street. He felt a a couple sharp pains in his chest and in the lower part of his back. He was certain he had broken a couple ribs and his spine was cracked. He shook his head to regain his bearings...if he waited at least a minute, he was certain his regenerative power would kick in and heal his injuries...if he had a minute.

"Ow," he managed to say as pulled himself back to his feet.

"Now that's sad." Bomber turned to see Zoe Kilmarten standing maybe a dozen feet away, still sipping that damn frappuccino. "Taken out by your own hover-board. By the way, David could probably build a better one."

"Oh, keep laughing, girl," Bomber snarled. He was angry now and the time for playing nice was over. "Let's see how you handle..." His voice trailed off when he realized the utility belt he was reaching for was now missing. He looked up at Zoe again and saw her giving him a smug grin as she showed off the utility belt in her other hand. "Oh...crap," was all he was able to say as Zoe threw two of his own blue stun balls at him. Then his whole world momentarily went black when they exploded in front of him.

Zoe watched as the armored mercenary was tossed up in the air by the shockwave from the two blue spheres she had taken off the belt. Then she winced as he landed face first next to Dash Parr who was struggling to get out of the trap he was in. "Ow...that's gotta' hurt. Your ears have to be ringing from that one."

"Whuzzat?" Bomber managed to say as he tried to get back up, but failed and collapsed to the ground. "Can't...hear you...ears are ringing..."

Zoe tossed the utility belt aside and walked up to where Dash and Bomber were lying on the ground. "Oh lookie...a wannabe and an egotistical prick...don't ask me to figure out which one is which."

"Okay, you made your point," grumbled Dash. "You think you can help me out of this, Kilmarten?"

Zoe took another sip of her drink. "Oh...but I couldn't do that, Speed Demon. You're a superhero...and All-American athlete...you should have no trouble with a little bit of glue." She then turned and walked away, leaving the stuck hero and semi-conscious mercenary on the ground.

"That bitch is a menace," said Bomber, managing to get up on his knees.

"No kidding."

"You're a superhero, D. Aren't you supposed to protect us from crazy people like that?"

"Look, I'm trying," said Dash. "But it's not easy, okay? I mean...wait a second, you're the villain...why am I justifying my myself to you?"

"Because you're an idiot?" asked a new voice.

Both Dash and Bomber looked up to see a young red-haired woman floating several feet above them. She wore a tight body-suit that fit her like a second skin and had most of the male bystanders looking at her as she descended to the ground.

"Well, hey...the day's looking up, D," said Bomber.

Dash, on the other hand, tried to keep from swearing out loud. "Great," he grumbled. "First the crap with Kilmarten, and now this."

"And hello to you too, Speed Demon," said the Team Tomorrow member known as Firewing. She raised her arm and fired a burst of energy, that disintegrated the paste that had encased Dash's legs. Though she kept her tone light, Dash wasn't fooled, he could sense the coldness in her voice.

"Dude, you know Firewing?" asked Bomber. "Damn, D...talk about getting a chance to nail that piece of a-" Bomber was cut off as another energy blast from Firewing hit him in the chest and threw him into a nearby vacant lot fifty yards away.

Dash got back up on his feet and shook his head. "You know, that wasn't necessary."

Firewing smiled at him. "No, but it was fun."

"True," said Dash. He then took a couple steps closer to Firewing and lowered his voice so bystanders couldn't hear him. "Kari...what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Pax and the rest of Team Tomorrow saving the world or something?"

"Good to see you too, Dash," Kari McKeen shot back.

"Hey, not so loud...some of us heroes have secret identities."

"Oh, yes, that's right," said Kari. "You and your family are still doing the hero thing, huh?" Then she lowered her voice, but that didn't hide the venom in her voice. "So tell me...wiped anyone's memory lately?"

Dash wanted to verbally rip her apart right there in public, not giving a damn how it would look on the news if it showed a "local hero" getting into it with a popular hero from the UN sponsored Team Tomorrow, but he held back because Kari did have a point. "Look, I didn't know what they did to you, Kari...not until much later."

"Yeah, whatever." Kari managed a fake smile and waved at some nearby bystanders with camera. "And to answer your question...they decided to assign me here since I'm a local girl. They felt that your family might have problems dealing with the son of Syndrome."

"So how is Utopia treating you?" asked Dash, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, it's great," replied Kari. "Good paycheck, great product endorsement contracts, the best health care system in the world, and...oh yeah...they don't erase my memory like my former friends did."

"I told you, Violet and I didn't know!"

"Not the first two times at least." Kari stood there for a moment, glaring at Dash before looking back up to the sky. "Tell your family that I'm back in town...and that they, especially your sister, should stay out of my way." She then took to the air, waving at a couple more onlookers before disappearing into the city skyline.

"Oh yeah," grumbled Dash. "This has been a shitty day." He then remembered Bomber and quickly ran over to where the armored mercenary had landed, only to find that he had disappeared as well. "A very shitty day."

* * *

Zoe finished off her frappuccino and tossed the empty cup into a nearby dumpster, trying not to laugh too hard as she made her way back to Metroville High. She stopped across the street from the school and grinned as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch. Needless to say, the last thirty minutes cheered her up. It's not every day that one humiliates a wannabe super-villain and an stuck up hero. However, despite how things turned out, she was a little concerned. Someone had apparently hired some loser to kidnap her in order to get to David...and that didn't sit well with her, especially since they mistook her as being a "helpless" normal human.

Well, they won't make that mistake again.

She smiled as she mentally recalled how she had taken Bomber out with his own hover-board, and then snatched his utility belt from him. She was still giggling to herself as she crossed the street and started to make her way to the main entrance of the school.

"You must be proud of yourself," she heard someone say behind her.

Zoe turned and saw a red-haired woman wearing the familiar blue and gold Team Tomorrow costume. "Um, maybe a little," she said. "So, Firewing, you going to try and kidnap me too?"

"No, why would I do that?"

Zoe shrugged. "Seems to be the order of the day, today."

"Actually, I'm here to talk to you about your powers," said Firewing. "How long have you been a nova?"

"Um...most of my life? Unlike you, I didn't erupt a couple years ago in a shopping mall." Zoe folded her arms across her chest. "So, McKeen...what brings you here to Metro...come to find your missing brain cell? Did you happen to check the bargain rack at Macy's?"

"Is that any way to talk to someone trying to help you?"

"Help me? How?"

"I saw what you did, what you're capable of. And I also know that you're working for David Pine Flynn." Firewing's expression became more serious. "The boy is bad news, Zoe."

"Okay...first off, only my friends call me Zoe and, last time checked, that doesn't include Project Utopia drones. And second...for someone who is 'bad news', David hasn't hidden who he is from me or anyone else." She then turned and reached over to open the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got class."

"Don't be too sure of that, girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh...nothing. It's just that there were witnesses to your little adventure...how long do you think it will be before word gets out about you?"

"You wouldn't," Zoe almost snarled.

Firewing smiled at her. "But if you were to say...sign on with Utopia...we could set up an arrangement."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be," said Zoe.

"It doesn't have to be like that. We can use someone like you."

"And if I say no?"

"Well...then I'm afraid word is going to get out about you. An unregistered nova, a minor whose parents are hardly ever home and spends most of her time with the son of a super-villain?" Firewing shook her head and frowned. "We would have no choice but to take custody of you."

"Kind of like what you people did to Jake McKinney a couple months ago?"

"That was an accident," snapped Firewing. "And the media reported it wrong."

"Oh yeah, of course, I forgot how 'beneficial' Utopia has been for all humanity." A smirk formed on Zoe's lips. "Gunning down a twelve year old must have been for our own good, huh?"

"That's enough!" Fire suddenly exploded around Firewing's body, a sign that she was starting to lose her temper. "You have no right to-"

"To what?" asked Zoe, cutting the heroine off. "To make my own choice?"

By now, several students were exiting the building for lunch and stopped short when they realized that a member of Team Tomorrow was outside their school. Some of them, most of them being male, pulled out their cell-phones and began taking pictures as one of the 'hottest heroines' faced off against the school's 'resident freak'. Firewing must have noticed the attention they were getting, because she immediately tried to regain her composure, and the flames dancing around her body dissipated.

"You're making this harder than it has to be, Kilmarten," said Firewing, softening her voice and trying to sound reasonable. "You can't be allowed to operate alone like this."

"What part of 'Not Interested' did you not get?"

Firewing shook her head. "Then you leave us no choice," she said as she started to go airborne. "We'll finish this later...when there aren't so many witnesses. Maybe you'll change your mind by then."

Zoe watched as the stuck up heroine flew off, ignoring her fellow students who were babbling excitedly amongst each other about having seen a 'real' superhero up close and in person. Then she noticed some students looking at her and whispering to each other.

"_Did you hear that? Kilmarten just dissed Firewing."_

"_Kilmarten's a nova?"_

"_Figures...she was always a freak to begin with..."_

Zoe rolled her eyes and shook her head, amazed at how all the kids at school saw an air-headed nova like Firewing and considered her a hero, but decided that their fellow student, Zoe Kilmarten, was a freak of nature. "Fuck this," she finally said, kicking on the super-speed and disappearing down the street. She knew there was trouble coming and running way was probably not the best thing to do, but Firewing was right...people saw her and, unlike others, she didn't have a 'secret identity'.

But then, there was that other horrifying realization: When her parents found out what happened, she was definitely going to be grounded for life.

* * *

Jean-Paul Renard, also known as the mercenary called Bomber, entered the abandoned warehouse, turning his neck to the right as far as he could until he heard a popping sound. He then rubbed his neck, trying to make the pain go away as his bones re-knitted themselves. Normally, he wouldn't take a job like this, but he had to admit that he was impressed by the Kilmarten girl and his employer was more than willing to pay him to test her.

"Did anyone see you?" asked a voice from the shadows.

"No," said Jean. "Give me some credit, here. I may be a slacker, but I AM a professional. You got my money?"

A man in a business suit and gray overcoat stepped out of the shadows, carrying a briefcase which he opened up to reveal several bundles of currency. "As agreed, one and a half million dollars, half of it in American dollars, the other in Euros. He closed the briefcase and handed it to Jean. "So...your opinion?"

"Well, you were right, she is a nova...a speedster, hell, she's probably faster than Speed Demon." He shook his head and chuckled softly. "Didn't even think that was possible."

"Impressive," said the other man. "We observed her actions and while you were holding back, it's obvious that she's not as scatterbrained as she would have people believe."

"Definitely not. Unlike Demon, she has some grasp of strategy and tactics as opposed to simply rushing in. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"No, that will be all, Renard."

Jean smiled as he held up the briefcase. "Gotta' tell ya, it's the easiest million and a half I've ever made. Just one thing...the next time you Utopia people set up something like this and get me involved, warn me if you have another player entering the game."

"Other?" The Utopia representative hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Ah, you mean, Firewing...yes, that wasn't exactly planned. However, that didn't complicate matters, did it?"

"Well, no, but getting blasted by Firewing isn't something I want to repeat, okay? My skin is still itching from regenerating the burned tissue." He patted the briefcase. "But hey...I think I'll heal just fine." He then walked away, leaving the Utopia agent standing there in the shadows.

The man waited about two minutes, then closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before opening them again. "Okay, he's gone and we're clear...you can come out now."

Divis Mal stepped out of the shadows, clapping his hands. "Nicely done, Scripture...I do believe you missed your calling."

Jeremiah Scripture smiled at his leader, his eyes glowing slightly, adding more faint light to the dimly lit warehouse. "Well, sometimes theatrics is a useful tool in my line of work, especially when preaching to the masses. But that's something I don't need to tell you."

"Indeed, so it would seem that our young friend's companion is more than she seems."

"I don't understand why you wanted to test her, but I'm assuming there's a reason."

"Go ahead and spit it out, Jeremiah," Mal chuckled. "It's just us and you don't have to be so formal here."

"We knew she was a nova and we knew what kind of powers she possessed, so why go through this charade?"

"It's simple Jeremiah. By forcing Zoe Kilmarten to go public like that, she would have no choice, but to abandon her facade of a normal life. It would also attract the attention of Project Utopia, who would feel it would be their 'duty' to 'assist' the girl in controlling her powers."

"She, nor her parents, would never go along with that."

"And neither will the one other person who cares about her."

"Flynn?"

"Yes, David Flynn." Divis Mal's voice was distant as he remembered the conversation he had with the boy...no...the young man. He doubted David Flynn ever had the chance to have a real childhood...not if what he suspected about the boy was true.

_**"Oh please...I hope you're not going into the whole 'god among insects' thing. It worked well in the X-Men books and the movies, but please stop sounding like Magneto. Besides, if I actually bought into that stuff, I don't think you'd like the role I'd play in your re-created pantheon."**_

_**"And what would that be?"**_

_**"Prometheus."**_

_**"You do know what happened to Prometheus as punishment for his crime against Zeus, right?"**_

_**"Yeah, tied to a rock and an eagle got an all you-could-eat buffet in the form of his constantly regenerating liver. The problem is, we're not really gods, you're not Zeus, and I'm not Prometheus."**_

"No," Mal said aloud. "Maybe we aren't gods...but close enough."

"What was that, Divis?"

"Nothing, Jeremiah...just thinking about a conversation I had with young Flynn."

"Are you sure it's wise to antagonize him like this?"

"David Flynn has always had a hatred for Utopia, and it would only be a matter of time before they crossed paths." He smiled again as he remembered something else. "And Firewing's getting involved in the incident, while unexpected, does help things along."

"Yes," said Scripture, a thoughtful look on his face as he contemplated what Divis had in mind. "Firewing's general pro-Utopia attitude borders almost on fanaticism."

"Careful, old friend...the same could be said about our group," Mal chuckled. "But you're right. Firewing's stance and attitude will certainly give David Flynn something to deal with."

"Do you really think he will side with us?"

"At the moment, no. However, it's only a matter of time and undecided novas like Flynn, Kilmarten, and others will have no choice but to take a side." His eyes suddenly glowed an eerie red color. "Let's hope, for their sakes, they make the right decision."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own Aberrant...don't own The Incredibles. White Wolf and Disney/Pixar do.

Author's Notes: Okay, this little bit was meant to be an opening, but I figured it would make for a nice short interlude. Don't worry, the real chapter is on its way. As usual, comments/criticisms/threats are welcome (though the threats will be laughed at). Just to let you people know, this is where things start to get ugly.

Special Thanks, Accusations, & Pleas for Mercy:

Gremblin, glad to have you back.

NullChronicler, thanks for sticking around on this crazy ride.

Blaze and Dagger...as always, you guys rock.

Nick...this is all your fault.

And finally, Shannon K. Please put put the jumper cables and car battery away, I AM writing...I swear...no...please...don't..*ZZZZZZZZT!* AUUUUUUUUUGH!

* * *

Encrypted Communique:

_**Chiraben,**_

_**You have your orders, and you are to adhere to them. Thetis' orders cover the primary target only. Deviate from it at your own risk. You may be a nova, but we are Proteus and we own you. Any showboating or excess on your part and they will find YOUR body parts floating in a fish tank at a Chinese restaurant. Is that perfectly clear?**_

_**Ozaki**_

* * *

NSA Director Rick Dicker stood on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial, looking out at the midnight sky and the sheets of rain that all but obscured his view of the National Mall. If it weren't for the large floodlights illuminating the Washington Monument, he probably wouldn't have been able to make it out in the distance. He couldn't help chuckling at the moment...here he was, the head of a powerful government agency, in the dead of night, meeting up with a member of another shadowy organization.

"It was a dark and stormy night," he mused out loud. It was the only sense of amusement he was going to get out of this meeting. He had spent the last week testifying before a closed senate committee regarding his agency's refusal to support any pro-Utopia legislation and the NSA's "hostile" neutrality towards Team Tomorrow operations in the United States. In a way, Dicker saw the storm as the perfect analogy of what was happening now...and an omen for what was to come.

He could hear the faint footsteps of his contact approaching him. He didn't even bother turning around to greet them...he knew they were alone. Dicker may have been old, but his training never diminished, even at his age. Besides, they would be foolish to bring anyone else with them. This was a private meeting which, thanks to some carefully placed devices, was scrambled and shielded from any attempt to monitor the conversation. He smiled again as he recalled the accusations he had faced by some pro-Utopia leaning US senators...they would have been shocked by the conversation he was having now and who he was talking to.

"I don't know who has the bigger balls," said the newcomer as he stepped up to stand alongside Dicker. "Your boy for taking on Utopia...or you for putting him up to it."

Dicker turned to face the man...an older gentlemen in his late seventies, perhaps in his early eighties. Like Dicker, he wore an overcoat that provided ample protection against the storm, his short-cropped white hair and goatee gave him something of a grand-fatherly look. But the eyes said it all...they were haunted, having seen things that would probably have driven most normal men insane. Dicker, knew that look, because he had the exact same look in his own eyes...having witnessed some of the same things the other man had seen.

"Phillip," Dicker said in greeting. "If he's my 'boy', does that make Utopia your 'organization'?"

Phillip Lavielle, director of the Aeon Society, smiled humorlessly. "As you know, our control over Utopia is nominal at best...so I guess we're both in the same boat."

"It wouldn't have happened if Maggie hadn't turned control of Utopia to a UN appointed punk."

"She had her reasons," said Lavielle. "And while I do agree with you about Maggie, Laragione's doing an admirable job despite the situation."

"Something you're not telling me?" asked Dicker.

"Rick, we've known each other since Normandy." This time, there was humor in Lavielle's eyes. "Of course there's something I'm not telling you...just like there's something you're not telling me."

Dicker looked up at the Lincoln Memorial, studying it. There was a time when he was impressed by it...when he actually saw it as a symbol for something. But now, to him, it was merely just a tourist attraction. _Perhaps I've become jaded over the years,_ he thought to himself. _It still stands for something, but I wonder if the times no longer apply to what this place is supposed to represent._ "You didn't come all the way from Chicago," he finally said, "and ask me to meet you here just to talk old times."

Lavielle shook his head. "These are interesting times, aren't they, Rick? Who'd have thought that we would look back and all that we had been through together would be considered the 'good ol days'." He bowed his head slightly and the weariness crept into his voice. "Except there was nothing good about them...and it all went to hell."

"And now we're still having to clean up after it, Phillip."

"You shouldn't have left the society, Rick. We could have set things right."

"Really? Tell me something, Phillip...would you have killed Ana if Michael hadn't?"

Lavielle didn't reply.

"Yeah, I thought as much. Even though she framed me for passing the Hammersmith notes and shot me in the back when found out, you hesitated."

"We were just kids then, Rick."

"We were at war, and one of our own was working for the other side." Despite his words, they no longer carried any hostility, only the truth. "You know, I never liked Michael that much, but at least he was honest."

Neither man said anything for several seconds, the only sound being the rain slapping against the steps in front of the building. Finally, Phillip spoke again. "He's resurfaced recently...have to admit that he faired better than most of us, doesn't look a day over thirty. Then again, he was at ground zero when Hammersmith's engine exploded. Calls himself Divis Mal these days."

"I know," said Dicker. "But the Teragen are not my problem...that's your mess."

"Dammit, Rick, I didn't come here to bitch about the past! Yeah, we fucked up and now we have to deal with it. What do you think I've been doing since I took over the directorship of Aeon?"

"I suppose Utopia was your way of 'dealing' with it."

"C'mon, Rick...you know that if I hadn't approached the UN, that someone else would have stepped in or, more likely, the world would have torn itself apart as various world powers scrambled to acquire nova assets, or the novas decided to take over the world for themselves. It wasn't pretty, but even you have to admit that Project Utopia stemmed the tide and, for the most part, is doing some good for the world." Phillip pulled a cigarette out and lit it, pausing to take a small drag off it before continued speaking. "It was a solution to a problem...but now the solution is becoming part of the problem."

"I could have told you that," said Dicker. "I'm assuming you're talking about your 'nominal' control of Utopia. You mind telling me what happened?"

"You know I can't tell you everything, Rick."

"I'm not asking you to...just tell me what you want to tell me."

"As you know, Margaret Mercer stepped down as Director of Utopia. You know how she is...too much like her grandfather, never willing to sit behind the desk and oversee things. So we put Justin Laragione in charge, he did an admirable job while assistant Secretary of State under the Clinton Administration and his earlier years as a junior ambassador to the United Nations also gave him credibility with UN member states."

"I sense a 'But' in there," said Dicker, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Let me guess...there were some in the society who didn't think he was the right choice."

"Justin is an honorable young man, despite his youth. He was respected by the United Nations, but there were some in the society who felt that he wasn't seasoned enough for the directorship."

"In other words, they felt that he was afraid to get is hands dirty if it meant doing the right thing." Dicker shook his head. "Is he really that idealistic and naive?"

"No, but there were some who see him as being a member of 'MTV' generation. He had no military training, hadn't dealt with wars like most of us have. He was considered 'soft', by some. So a proposal was made to form an organization within Utopia to serve as a watchdog and keep it in line. Laragione fought against it, but the council voted in favor of it. The new organization then basically took over Aeon's job of watching over Utopia. I was one of the few who voted against it, the others being Laragione and Maggie Mercer, who made it clear that her grandfather wouldn't approve."

"No, he wouldn't have approved," said Dicker. "So what's Maggie doing now?"

"She's decided to take over one of our other projects, one that I can't tell you about."

Dicker studied the other man for a moment. Even though he hadn't talked to Lavielle in years, he could tell something was wrong. The man was definitely afraid of something. "What's going on, Phillip?"

"Listen, Rick...I know our friendship has been strained over the last few decades, but you have no idea of the can of worms you opened eight years ago." Lavielle finished off his cigarette and flicked off into the night. "You should have turned the boy over to us when you found him."

"You mean the 'Adam-X' project that Buddy Pine was working on at his island facility? The same project where the information we downloaded off Pine's computers contained Hammersmith's notes along with what the Germans were working on during the war?" Dicker didn't hide his disgust this time. "All you saw was a specimen to be dissected and studied. I'll admit that I can be cold and ruthless at times, but I wasn't about to hand a young boy over to some crazy bitch who wanted to cut him open."

"You really have no idea, do you?" snapped Lavielle. By now, he had ditched the facade of reconciliation, but Dicker could still sense the fear in the man's voice. That, at least, was real. "You think you can simply stand against them forever? You intentionally let something slip through their fingers and now that he's causing them trouble, they will hold you responsible. They won't hesitate to take him out and then they'll be coming for you."

"And who, exactly, are 'they'?" asked Dicker. "They, as in Utopia? Aeon? You?"

Lavielle shook his head again. "If I had my way, I'd just leave you alone, but I no longer have that kind of power. I may be Director of Aeon, but I'm just a glorified figurehead now. The only person I can trust is Maggie and she has locked her project down, with my approval, and is working independently of the Society. It's the only way to keep them out."

"Phillip, I really need to know this. Someone in the Society had given Buddy Pine access to the Hammersmith notes...was it you?"

"No, it was-" Lavielle suddenly spun to the side, his head snapping back as the projectile ripped through his skull before exploding out the back, blood and brain matter splattering on Dicker before Lavielle's body hit the ground.

Dicker immediately dropped low, pulling out his pistol, aiming in the direction he guessed the shot had come from. In the distance, he saw the floodlights of the Washington Monument flicker for a moment, then he saw something at the top of the monument...a flash of light and something streaking upward into the night sky before vanishing in another flash of light.

An hour later, Dicker watched as the crime scene investigators worked the area. He spent the last hour answering questions from a police detective, but he kept an eye on the others. This was obviously a hit, and from what Lavielle had told him, it was obvious that it was someone high up with a lot of power calling the shots. For all he knew, one of the investigators...hell, maybe even the whole team..could be part of it.

"So...Mr. Dicker," said the Detective for what must have been the fiftieth time. "You saw nothing else...just a flash of light over near the Washington Monument?"

Inwardly, Dicker sighed, wishing he could reach over and snap the man's neck. Obviously, the detective had no clue who he was and was having fun with Dicker's name. Outwardly, he appeared calm and indifferent. "Yes," he said. "Would you like me to write it in crayon for you?"

"A man was killed here, Mr. Dicker...and you're the only one at the scene. Needless to say, that does make you a suspect."

"Not if he wasn't using a high-powered rifle," said one of the investigators as he approached the two men, a plastic bag in his hand. "We got high-vel shell, looks like it's made of eumetal."

"Eumetal?" asked the detective, surprise and fear in his voice. "It's a nova-grade slug?"

"Yep," said the investigator. "And it gets better."

The man held the bag up for both men to see and Dicker could make out a symbol on the shell...a zero with a line through it. The detective saw the symbol, his face growing pale when he recognized it. "Oh shit...Teragen."

At the mention of the Teragen, activity around the crime scene intensified. The detective called in for more support and Dicker knew that it was likely the FBI and other agencies would be involved in in the investigation, including elements of his own. Dicker knew that they would probably find evidence that would link the Teragen to the murder.

But Dicker knew better than that...no matter how overwhelming the evidence, even if the investigation came to the conclusion the evidence pointed to...this was not a Teragen hit. It was a set-up and carefully executed by someone who had a lot of power and the ability to throw suspicion on others. Yes, the evidence would say Teragen, but Dicker knew the truth...

_Aeon..._

His cell-phone rang and he pulled it out of his coat. "This is Dicker."

"Rick, it's Bob...we got a problem."

Dicker looked back at the crime scene, watching as couple agents loaded Lavielle's body onto a stretcher and rolled it towards a waiting van. "That's an understatement," he grumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing...what's wrong, Bob?"

"I just got a call from Violet, she said that there was something going on between David Pine and members of Team Tomorrow. Then we got cut off."

Lavielle's words suddenly came back to haunt him.

"_**You really have no idea, do you? You think you can simply stand against them forever? You intentionally let something slip through their fingers and now that he's causing them trouble, they will hold you responsible. They won't hesitate to take him out and then they'll be coming for you."**_

"Oh...shit..."

* * *

Encrypted Communique:

_**Ozaki,**_

_**Mission accomplished, Lavielle now has a tunnel in his head. Hope your little slut and her T2M friends can handle the test tube baby.**_

_**Have a nice day.**_

_**Hugs, kisses, and a high velocity shell through the testicles,**_

_**Chiraben**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Flashpoint Part 1**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own Aberrant and Incredibles...they're owned by White Wolf and Disney/Pixar. "Erase and Rewind" is owned by The Cardigans. Certain other characters of the medical persuasion are owned by Buena Vista/Disney as well. The excerpt at the beginning was provided by an Aberrant player named Joseph. Thanks for letting me use it, Joe.

Author's Notes: Sorry, had to break this down...it's too damn big, part two of this will be up soon, I promise.

* * *

_See, I think the doctors have it all wrong. Some of us pop and develop the tools we need to survive, or what we think we need to survive, sure. Not everyone survives their eruption, after all. But wish fulfillment? Desire? I don't think so._

_I think we erupt into what we believe ourselves to be. I think eruption peels away the mask that we wear for the sake of our own safety and security, and it shows the world not who we really are, but who we think we are. That's why blokes like Caestus Pax don't wash with me. No matter what he says or what he does, this is the thing he chose to become, the thing he sees himself as. Rhetoric aside, deep down, little Shelby Eisenfaust actually thinks he's fucking Superman. And to me, that's a hell of a lot scarier than a self-loathing man dying in a hospital who became the pile of shit everyone always told him he was._

_From the N! Channel documentary: "Talking with Monsters"_

* * *

David allowed himself a tiny smile as he gunned the engine of his customized BMW Mini-Cooper S, ignoring the honking horns and angry obscenities coming from other motorists as he weaved his way through traffic. Having gotten through the last of the late afternoon traffic that was clogging up the highway (and wasting three hours of his life that he would never get back) leaving Los Angeles, all that remained for him was an hour and a half drive before hitting Metroville. He tapped the screen to his MP3 player, highlighting the playlist labeled "cruising music". A few seconds later, a remixed version of "Erase and Rewind" by the Cardigans was coming out of the surround-sound speakers in the car.

_Hey.._

_What did you hear me say?_

_You know the difference it makes_

_What did you hear me say?_

_Yes,I said it's fine before_

_But I don't think so no more_

_I said it's fine before_

_I've changed my mind_

_I take it back_

_Erase and rewind_

_'Cause I've been changing my mind_

_Erase and rewind_

_'Cause I've been changing my mind_

_I've changed my mind..._

It wasn't the usual type of music he listened to, but he didn't feel like listening to the usual metal/industrial/techno songs that dominated his playlists. After all, one could only listen to so many different versions of Nine Inch Nails remixes, Metallica, Linkin Park, Rammstein, and The Killers before going insane. Besides, he just wasn't in the mood.

The day really hadn't been that bad. After talking to Violet Parr, he took off for Los Angeles to see his foster family and go in for a medical check-up. The meeting with his family was the usual occurrence at the Flynn household: chaos, laughter, and the occasional explosion. Then it became serious when Neil accompanied David to the hospital for his check up. As usual, the results were the same since the last time David had a check-up: he was the picture of health, except for that little part of the brain called the M-R node that was going to kill him about a decade down the road. All novas had an Mazarin-Rashoud node, that mysterious little extra piece of energized brain tissue that gave them their powers. Unfortunately, for David, that piece of energized brain tissue was going to kill him in the next ten to twelve years.

Neil had taken the news rather well, but David insisted that the rest of the family not be told. "I'm a freak already," he told his foster father. "I don't need them to think of me as a tragic victim."

The doctors had given him several options ranging from various types of treatments to radical surgical procedures that, honestly, sounded like several different ways to describe a lobotomy with a very slight chance of survival that would more than likely leave him a vegetable. Out of all the doctors he had talked to, he found the abrasive Doctor Cox to be the most pragmatic and honest about it.

"Look, I'll be the first to confess that I don't know the slightest thing about how your mojo powers work," Cox told David. "But that little tumor-like thing that triggers those abilities is going to kill you in the next decade. Sure we could operate on it, remove it, and you might have a chance of surviving, but you might end up suffering brain damage or becoming a total vegetable...which wouldn't be much different than a certain intern I used to deal with. But you want my advice, so here it is: live. You got at least ten years of your life left, live it. Don't waste it trying to look for ways to cheat death because you're just cheating yourself out of living."

For some reason, David found comfort in those words. While the other doctors seemed intent on giving him "theoretical" solutions to his problem, Cox told him the truth...one that he had suspected, but wasn't sure of until he had gotten an actual medical opinion. And now that he had that medical opinion, he experienced an odd mixture of dread and relief. It was odd...knowing that he was going to die and, while that did scare him, it didn't really seem to bother him too much...and that did worry him.

_Then again, you're not a real human...so you shouldn't be bothered by dying._

David ignored that thought, instead choosing to floor the accelerator and tear on down the highway. He always had thoughts like that...thoughts that he wasn't human, that he wasn't even _real_. He figured that mentality came from the fact that he knew he was grown in a tank somewhere, the first ten years of his life basically being a virtual simulation uploaded to his brain. Then there were the nightmares he occasionally had...except they weren't nightmares, but flashes of memory. Nightmares in which he wasn't human, but a metallic monster that killed supers. The nightmares faded away mostly in the years he spent with the Flynn family, but it was the revelation this last summer when he talked to Dicker that everything fell into place.

While living in that tank on Nomansian Island, his mind was linked to Syndrome's database...those nightmares were actually data files from various Omni-Droid missions. Over the next eight years since he was brought out of the tank, David began to "remember" things...like devices that Buddy Pine had been working on or designing. When he had "erupted" a couple years ago, gaining the ability to mentally link with computer networks, he also began to "remember" everything on the Pine Industries database, including some dark secrets that even the NSA had not been able to uncover.

_Erase and rewind_

_'Cause I've been changing my mind_

_Erase and rewind_

_'Cause I've been changing my mind_

_I've changed my mind..._

If it were only that simple, David mused. His thoughts were interrupted by his cell-phone playing a clip of "Where Is My Mind?" from the Pixies, causing him to sigh and shake his head. He tapped the speaker button on his cell-phone, patching it into the car's stereo system.

"What's going on, Zoe?" he asked.

"David, I think I might have screwed up."

"Okay, what did you break this time?" David laughed.

"No, David...this is serious. Someone tried to kidnap me to get to you, then DashParrshowedup,itallbecameamess,butItookcareofit,thenFirewingfromTeamTommorow showedupandshethinksI'manunregisterednovaandwantst otakemein!"

"Whoa there, Zoe, normal speed," David said. "Okay, someone tried to kidnap you? Who?"

"Some guy calling himself 'Bomber'?"

David wasn't sure if he should be concerned or amused. "Bomber? The guy who looks like he ripped off the Green Goblin's costume from Spider-Man?"

"Yeah, that's the guy. Anyway, he wasn't the problem. Dash Parr showed up doing his little 'Speed Demon' thing, got his ass kicked, I took down the bad guy, then Firewing showed up, and that's when it all went to hell."

"Firewing? As in Kari 'I'm dumber than a bleach blonde' McKeen...that Firewing?"

"Yeah."

"What the hell is she doing there?"

"I don't know, but she saw me in action, thinks I'm an unregistered nova, and wants to take me in."

_Shit,_ thought David, _didn't see that coming._ "Okay, where are you at now?" he asked.

"I'm at the SST campus, though I did stop home to grab Brody."

Despite himself, David smiled. He never figured Zoe to be a dog lover, but he remembered how she almost broke down and cried when he gave her the small Australian Shepherd puppy as a present. "How many people do we have at SST?"

"Um, about twenty...the others won't be here until the big party for next week."

"Okay, tell them to stay on campus, I should be there in a couple hours. For now, act normally and tell everyone there to stay there, but be on their guard. And whatever happens...DON'T let anyone from Utopia take you."

"And if they try?"

David didn't bother to hide the the cold tone in his voice. "Then you have every right to defend yourselves...I'll be there soon."

He terminated the connection and refocused his attention on the road, trying to figure out what had happened. He realized that Firewing was a "local girl" from Metroville, but something didn't seem right here. She was the "American" nova poster-girl for Project Utopia, but she didn't seem the kind of person who would be interested in tracking down unregistered novas.

_Doesn't make sense, _he thought to himself. _Firewing isn't very bright and going after an "unregistered" nova would be beneath her because it doesn't involve massive media coverage...unless she was under orders..._

Everything suddenly fell into place.

_Bomber wasn't trying to kidnap Zoe...he might be a whack-job, but even a low-ranking elite wouldn't botch a kidnapping. He only targeted her, forced her to use her powers out in public._

David caught himself grinding his teeth as he realized who had the power to pull this off...a certain Project Utopia representative.

_Lansing..._

David floored the gas-pedal again, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Jonathan Lansing sat in the Director's office of the T2M building in Mexico City, watching the satellite surveillance feed on a monitor. The screen showed a bird's eye view of the Syndrome Software Technologies compound. Another monitor showed a retrieval team a couple blocks away, moving into position on the compound. He allowed himself a tiny self-congratulatory smile, still not believing the fluke of good luck that fell into his lap.

It all started when Kari McKeen called him up earlier in the afternoon. Apparently, the air-headed nova was taking some time off to visit her family in Metroville when she stumbled across an incident involving the nova mercenary known as Bomber, the young hero called Speed Demon, and an unknown nova with super speed and spiky neon pink hair. As far as McKeen was concerned, the unknown speedster was unregistered and that it was her duty as a Utopia agent to bring the other nova in. When Lansing heard the description, he knew that McKeen could only be describing the hyper-active little teeny-bopper that hung around David Flynn...Zoe Kilmarten, the "self-appointed PR director" for SST...at least according to those damn viral Youtube videos that had flooded the net over the last month and a half.

Of course, he realized that while Kilmarten was not registered with Utopia, she was probably registered with the US government's National Supers Agency. Technically speaking, Utopia had no authority and Metroville, along with most of the United States, was out of Team Tomorrow's jurisdiction. Even though the UN and US senators friendly to Project Utopia had pushed for legislation to grant Utopia authorization to act in the US, it was usually shot down by politicians and bureaucrats who whined about about America's "diminishing sovereignty". Ever since the Galatea incident, Utopia, through the UN, had tried to pressure the NSA to release their database on all known supers in the United States, but that old fossil currently heading the National Supers Agency kept telling Utopia and its allies to go to hell. To make matters worse, the NSA, along with various agencies from the Russian Confederation, Germany, Japan, and Great Britain formed their own little group called The Directive which, they claimed, was created to serve as a balance to Project Utopia.

Oh, how he wished he could simply order an assassination team to take out Dicker and be done with it...but that wasn't possible. The old bastard knew too much, and, according to the Proteus council, a lot of ugly things could possibly come to light if something happened to him. However, this business with Kilmarten, if played properly, might work in their favor and could possibly cause trouble for Dicker, the NSA, and David Flynn.

_David Flynn..._

Lansing clenched his fists whenever that little punk's name came up. If someone had told him a year ago, that he would be facing off against some pimply-faced eighteen year old bastard who posed a high level threat to Utopia, Lansing would have laughed in their face and had them committed. Except...the threat was real, and David Flynn was hardly some pimply-faced teenager with powers. Within the last few months, that boy had decided to reclaim what was left of Pine Industries holdings for himself and pretty much declared war on Utopia.

At first, when he had heard of David Flynn, Lansing dismissed the boy as just another nova who needed a reality check. It wasn't until that confrontation at a Starbucks almost two months ago, that Lansing and Utopia realized how much of a threat Flynn was. The young man had single handedly hacked their satellite network and used one of their own weapons satellites to destroy one of the spy-sats in geosynchronous orbit...all with just his mind!

Then again, Lansing reminded himself, he should have known better. Before Project Utopia, he was an operative for the Aeon Society who had infiltrated Pine Industries. He was part of the Pine Industries security team that had "acquired" the Hammersmith notes from the Aeon Society. He was there when Buddy Pine began working on a project called "Adam-X" alongside his Omni-Droid program. And he was there when the NSA stormed the island, but managed to elude capture. He had orders to activate the island's self-destruct mechanism to destroy Syndrome's research, but something had gone wrong and overrode his security code. His superiors were concerned that the NSA would discover "Adam-X" and might link him to the Aeon Society, but nothing came of it. Years later, Lansing dismissed the "Adam-X" program as a failure...only to be proven wrong when David resurfaced on Utopia's radar.

_And now that freak of nature wants to destroy us._

Though he had been informed by certain members of the Proteus Council that he was the reason David Flynn was an enemy, he knew they were wrong. The boy was an abomination even when compared to other novas. David Flynn wasn't "born" into this world, he was created and engineered, a project that had been conceived in the bleak monstrosity known as Nazi Germany when they had first acquired the Hammersmith notes, and ultimately brought to fruition by Pine Industries decades later...except someone had given the damn creature sentience and woke it up in time for the NSA to discover it.

_**"Mirage...that bitch,"**_ Buddy Pine had said to him, "_**she must have put him online."**_

Unfortunately, Mirage disappeared shortly after the NSA seized Nomanisan Island...another failure by Lansing to tie up loose ends. But it wouldn't be that way for long...Buddy Pine would be "escaping" soon and would kill David, eliminating the threat to Utopia. Then Lansing would kill Buddy Pine, and then he could focus on trying to track down Mirage and get rid of her. After all, he had the resources of a powerful international agency at his disposal, there was no way she could hide from him.

"Were in position, sir," came a voice over the ear-piece he was wearing. Lansing recognized the voice belonging to Bruce "Stalwart" McInerny, a nova operative in charge of the retrieval team accompanying Firewing.

Lansing reached up and tapped the screen on his his desk, bringing up another visual that displayed the team's location. A window popped open in the upper corner of the screen, displaying McInerny's face as he made his report.

"Not much else going on, sir. The target is on site along with several other novas...none of them are registered with us."

Lansing smiled at that. _So...it looks like Flynn has some unregistered novas working for him other than just Kilmarten...perfect._ "Move in, but focus primarily on Kilmarten, we want her alive, Bruce. The last thing we need is another Jacob McKinney incident."

"Understood, sir, McInerny out."

* * *

Violet didn't attend classes that day. She occasionally took a day off when she was actually ill or was dealing with an "emergency" that involved the "family business". Unlike her brother, she never ditched a day of school...never. But today was different...all because of David Flynn.

"_**Look, people like us...novas...we're never going to be normal. No matter what we do, what we say, or what we believe, people will view us as freaks or something that needs to be controlled or contained. However, that doesn't mean we should go to the other extreme and act like gods. I guess €the trick is to reach some sort of balance. But I guess the real question is this...do you really like where you are?"**_

Violet was right...the conversation from earlier that morning kept bugging her. After her shift was over, she decided to take the rest of the day off and figure out what to do about Flynn's offer. Instead, she walked aimlessly around town, stopping off at the mall in an attempt to distract herself, but ultimately ended up at a small coffee house not far from her dorm. She spent the next few hours there, pretending to study, but that didn't help. During that time, she also called her brother to talk about it, which ended up being a bad idea.

"Are you crazy?" Dash practically screamed at her. "This is Syndrome Jr. were talking about. It's bad enough he has that psycho Kilmarten working for him, now he wants you to sign on? Are you really that stupid? Do I have to spell out the word TRAP for you?"

He then hung up on her, but she realized that he must have called their mother because, a half hour later, Helen Parr called up to express her concern. Thirty seconds later, in which Violet heard her mother use words she almost never used, that conversation ended with Violet and her mother yelling at each other and Violet slamming the phone on the table as she closed it, getting stares from other customers in the coffee house. She ignored them, turned her phone off, and tossed it in her bag before going back to pretending to study.

A few minutes later, she heard the other chair at her table move as someone joined her. She didn't bother looking up, already having a pretty good idea who it was. "Go away, Dash...we really don't need to talk."

"Wow, you really are out of it, Vi."

Violet looked up in surprise. She was expecting Dash to show up, not her other brother. "Jack? What are you doing here?"

"Oh," said the nine year old as he smiled at his older sister. "You know how it is...big sister decides not to show up for dinner, mom and dad have an argument, and big brother is looking confused and pissed. I was then told to go to my room so the grown ups could have a 'talk' about you." He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment as he thought of something. "I still don't get that part, I know I'm the baby in the family, but when did Dash ever grow up?"

Despite herself, Violet couldn't help laughing. Though Jack was only nine, he possessed a sharp wit that allowed him to hold his own against his older siblings, especially Dash, who learned that while he was the older brother, there was no way he was going to bully Jack without paying the price. "So why are you here, Jack?"

"You already asked that," said Jack. "But to answer your question, I'm doing the right thing by coming here to beg you to come home to talk to Mom and Dad."

"Uh-huh," said Violet, the tone in her voice telling Jack that she knew he was lying. "You just decided to bail out on them, didn't you?"

Jack smiled at her and shrugged. "Well, what do you expect? Mom, Dad, and Dash are having their 'grown-ups only' talk, and they figure I'm upstairs playing video games." His smile faded a little bit with his next question. "Is it true? Did that David Flynn guy offer you a job?"

"How would you know about that?"

"Well, duh." Jack rolled his eyes. "There's this little thing we little kids are good at, it's called eavesdropping."

"Go home, Jack...this isn't any of your business."

"Actually, it is. You see, you're taking this job offer has them pissed off, which means they're going to fight until the wee hours in the morning or until they get a hold of you and talk to you. Dash will simply chicken out and run off somewhere, leaving me to deal with angry parents arguing in the house."

"I didn't say I was going to take the job."

"No, but you're thinking about it, right?"

"Well..." Violet hesitated, realizing that she, indeed, was considering taking David Flynn's offer. "Sort of."

"Vi, hate to break it to you, but you suck at lying."

"I do not!" Violet snapped.

"Yeah, you do, and I can prove it." Jack smiled at her. "For example, it's no secret that you and Tony had sex in Mom and Dad's bedroom when the rest of us went to Disney World a couple years ago."

"How would you know about that? You're only nine!"

"I didn't," Jack snickered. "I just guessed and you confirmed it. That's you're problem right there, Vi; you're too transparent when it comes to lying. Now...let's talk about the price of my silence..."

"I don't live there anymore, Jack. And it's my life, so quit thinking of ways you can blackmail me."

"Blackmail? That is such an ugly word. I like to think of it as acquiring financial assets."

"Oh, that's what it's called," said Violet. "And here I was thinking you were just stealing money from Dash."

This time, it was Jack being defensive. "Hey, you beat up your little brother, it's going to cost you. In this case, it cost him a lot."

"I can't believe Mom and Dad never caught you."

"What can I say?" Jack flashed her his trademark 'innocent' grin. "I have the face of an angel." Then his grin faded again. "But seriously, Vi. You really should come home...Mom even made lasagna instead of hamburger hell...er...helper."

"Wow...lasagna?"

"Yep."

"She must really be pissed."

"Look, just come home, okay? Otherwise, Mom and Dad are going to be fighting the rest of the night and it will make a really crappy rest of the week." He looked up at her with pleading eyes...an expression that Violet had mastered at that age. "Pleeeeease?"

"You really need to work more on your begging, kiddo."

"A little over the top, wasn't it?"

"Just a little." Violet put her books back in her bag, then she finished off her coffee before getting up out of her chair. "So, shall we head home?"

Jack shook his head as he and his sister made their way out the door. "Actually, I was kind of hoping we'd make a little stop along the way."

Violet gave her brother a suspicious look. "What kind of a stop."

"You're future place of employment," Jack said as he grabbed her arm.

"Hey, I never sai-" Violet was cut off as she and her brother disappeared in a flash of white light. "d I was going to take the job," she finished. Then she frowned as she recognized the old junior high-school she had attended several years ago. "Jack, why did you bring us here?"

Jack gestured to the parking lot in front of the facility which, somehow, was covered in a sheet of ice. "Actually, I passed this place before I found you. I was kind of curious and I wanted to see what they were up to."

"What are they doing?" asked Violet as she saw several teenagers and young adults skate by on the ice.

"It looks like hockey game over at one end of the parking lot," Jack said.

Sure enough, Violet saw a goal set up with a few people playing a game of hockey while others skated around the parking lot. Off to the side, she saw a couple outdoor grills set up and she could smell the burgers, steaks, and hot-dogs being grilled.

"Wow," Jack said. "You know...as far as secret super-villain lairs go, this is something of a disappointment. You sure this Syndrome Jr. is evil?"

"His father did try to kidnap you."

"Oh...yeah, there is that." Jack then turned to look at the small crowd of people gathering around the grills. "Think your future boss is down there?" he asked, starting to make his way towards the group.

"I'm not taking the job, Jack," Violet said. "And we're going home, right now. Hey...where are you going?"

Jack stopped and turned to look at her. "Aw, c'mon Violet. I'm just a kid, and you're part of their little group. Just pretend like we belong there, grab some food, and we'll head home." He resumed walking towards the grill. "Besides," he added, "eating burnt lasagna sucks."

"First off, I'm not part of their little group."

"C'mon, Vi...you fit right in there with the super-geeks."

"And you're starting to sound like Dash."

That last comment made Jack stop dead in his tracks and turn to reface his sister. "What did you just say?" His eyes flashed an amber color for a moment.

"Sorry Jack," Violet said, not even the least bit disturbed by this. She knew Jack wouldn't actually strike out at her. "You hit a raw nerve, I had to hit back."

After thinking about it for a second, Jack shrugged. "Yeah, you got a point...but that was low, Vi...even for you." Then he smiled. "You really are getting an edge."

"After dealing with Dash, and now you, I have to."

"You're lying, Vi."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am-"

"Wow, that sounds familiar," said a new voice.

They both turned to see a teen-aged girl with spiky pink hair standing there, a leashed Australian shepherd puppy standing next to her.

"Hey, you're that pink haired girl with the cool guns and blows things up," Jack said. "Love those videos."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Great, now I'm going to be stuck with that title forever." She then extended her hand towards Violet. "Zoe Kilmarten, I'm David's assistant and PR director."

"So that's what they call it these days," Jack said as he shook Zoe's hand. "Ow! Vi, you hit me!"

"Yes, I did...and you're too young to talk about things like that."

"Okay, Vi...there was this thing that came out over decade ago...it's called the 'net. Trust me, I've already seen...er..." Jack stopped at the glare he was getting from his sister. "Um...never mind."

"I am seriously going to talk to Mom and Dad about your internet access," Violet said.

"Besides," added Zoe Kilmarten, giving the nine year old a curious look, "I would think your parents would have put in some sort of parental restrictions."

"They did," said Jack. "But that's on my user ID, not my brother's."

Violet slapped her hand against her forehead and shook her head. "I should have known."

"So, what brings you two here?" Zoe asked.

"Just passing by on the way home," said Violet. "We were just leaving."

Zoe smirked at her. "Nice try, Violet Parr, but I know who you are."

"Yeah, well, Jack here wanted to see what was going on and sort of dragged me here."

Zoe looked down at Jack for a moment. "For some reason, I can believe that, Emo-Girl."

Jack tried to stifle his laughter. "Heh...Emo-Girl...ow!" He rubbed the back of his head again. "Stop hitting me."

"Emo-Girl?" repeated Violet. "I've been called worse."

"That's true," Jack said. "There's 'Bit-'...OW! That's it, I'm filing assault charges."

"Is he always like this?" asked Zoe.

"Unfortunately, yes," Violet replied with a roll of her eyes. "The sad part is, this is when he is behaving."

"Hey!" Jack snapped at her. "That is so...true."

"Well, since you're here, might as well join the others." Zoe's eyes narrowed for a moment and Violet thought she saw a hint of anger there, but it immediately disappeared. "Especially since you're joining the company."

"Actually, I haven't made up my mind."

"Really?" Again, there was a glimmer of emotion in Zoe's eyes, but it quickly vanished, though the slight hopeful tone in her voice hadn't. "Is it that whole 'son of the villain' thing?"

"Something like that."

"Hey, you're not the one he tried to kidnap."

"Shut up, Jack."

"Well, you might as well get something to eat," Zoe said.

"Hey...free food, no complaints there," laughed Jack.

"We're going home, Jack."

Jack suddenly dropped to his knees, a pained look on his face. "Too...weak," he gasped. "Strain of 'porting is too much...need...food...to...regain...strength."

"Mom has lasagna at home."

"But it's burnt, and you know she's a crappy cook when she's pissed."

"True," Violet admitted, having endured many burnt dinners when her mother was angry. "Fine...we'll stick around for a little bit."

"All right!" Jack was back up on his feet and headed down towards the grill, pausing only to grab a paper plate and a can of soda off a picnic table.

"Brat," Violet grumbled as she followed her brother. She glanced over at Zoe who was talking softly to her dog. "So...how old is he/she?"

"Five months," Zoe replied. "And his name is Brody. David gave him to me as a gift."

"Really?" Violet was hoping to keep the tone friendly, but she couldn't help sensing mild hostility being directed at her from Zoe. "So where is your boss?"

"Out of town, but he should be here soon though. He was visiting his family." Zoe looked up and laughed at the concerned look on Violet's face when she mentioned David's family. "His foster-family," she corrected.

"And the party?"

"Oh, just a small gathering."

"Good to know," said a new voice above them. Both Violet and Zoe looked up to see Firewing floating above them along with two other novas flanking her on either side. "After all," continued Firewing, "I'd hate to deal with an army of unregistered novas, though capturing all of you all at once would make it easier."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Flashpoint Part 2**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own Aberrant, White Wolf does. Don't own Incredibles, Disney/Pixar and Brad Bird do.

Author's Notes: Well...here we go...part two of the Flashpoint chapter. Still not happy with how this chapter turned out...kept rewriting the fight scenes, so I cut a lot of stuff out. Also want to thank CA_Schooler for letting me use his Null character. I know Null didn't do much, but he will do more later...expect him to an integral part of the supporting cast. Also cut back what I originally did with Jack...I wanted to hint at him being powerful, but I didn't want to make him look like "uber-bad-ass-nine-year-old-who-saves-the-day"...trust me, "Anakin Skywaker syndrome" is a disease that will NOT be tolerated in this fic.

Anyway, hope you like it. I'll probably go back and edit this thing, but for now...enjoy. And, as usual, feedback is nice.

Oh, by the way...if you're on Deviant Art, check out Gaiakun's page. She did this really cool pic of Violet. I would put the link here, but FFN tends to frown on that. But just type in her name on the Deviant site and you should be able to find it.

* * *

_**From the first of two essays circulating among Teragen members**_

_My name is Pedro Santiago. My name is also The Mathematician, and I am a nova._

_More than that I am a Terat, a combatant in the struggle to define what it means to be_

_beyond baseline humanity and to guarantee ourselves a future._

_But the future is founded on the past. If we are to go forward, we must know our origins,_

_victories and defeats. This document is the first step toward that understanding. The Teragen_

_is on the verge of a great transformation, and I fear we will spiral into chaos if we fail to build_

_on the past. I have assembled my recollections of the events that shaped our early days_

_into the following essay, but I invite you all to add your own notes and contributions. I leave_

_more recent events to one much younger than myself._

_For the One Race._

_The detonation of the Galatea in 1998 may have ushered in the so-called "Nova_

_Age," but the seeds of our current problems were all present before that fateful day._

_Save for the few children we keep hidden from Utopian pawns, we were all born before_

_the Galatea fell from the sky. We are all children of the sick, dirty and self-destructive_

_world of the late 20th century. The coming of novas, free and powerful by our very_

_nature, terrified that world and its greedy, petty leaders. Thanks to the manipulations of_

_the "philanthropic" Aeon Society, this fear fueled oppression. The Aeon Society rolled_

_out Project Utopia with blinding speed, an efficiency that speaks of premeditation. Under_

_its guidance, the ineffective and morose United Nations was suddenly able to act_

_decisively. This is when our bondage truly began._

* * *

For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. Violet could see Firewing, Kari McKeen, her former best friend, floating in the air above them. Two other novas flanked Kari on either side, one of them was a blond haired woman that Violet recognized as the nova that called herself Gravity. The other nova was powerfully built man who looked like an armed forces recruiting poster, but Violet recognized him as well...Stalwart, the nova who made the news a few months ago when he and a Utopia retrieval team tried to forcibly take a newly erupted nova into custody.

_This is soooo not good._

"Hello, Violet," said Firewing as she gently landed on the ground. Gravity, who was apparently using her power to transport herself and Stalwart, landed a few feet behind Firewing while Stalwart landed off to the side. "It's been a long time."

"Kari," Violet said, nodding her head slightly. She looked down the street behind Firewing and could see a half dozen personnel in paramilitary uniforms with the Utopia logo on them. "And what brings you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Vi." Firewing folded her arms in front of her. "Wasn't planning on running into you here...though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you always did hang with the wrong crowd."

"And what, exactly, do you mean by that?" Violet's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she looked beyond the three Utopia novas and at the Utopia operatives moving into position with their weapons. "A little overkill, don't you think?"

"You're affiliating with a individual who represents a potential threat," rumbled Stalwart as he stepped forward. "We are aware of who you are, Violet Parr. And while you are not registered with Utopia, we have been ordered to let you go."

Violet didn't like where this was heading.

"You're getting a free pass, Vi," Firewing said. "Walk away and let us take Zoe Kilmarten in."

"Like hell you will," snapped Zoe.

"You don't have a choice, girl." Stalwart sounded like he was actually enjoying the possibility of a confrontation. "And neither do the others since they aren't registered. Needless to say, David Flynn will have several charges against him by the end of tonight."

"We are registered," a new voice said from behind Violet. She turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder and saw about six teenagers and young adults standing behind her. "Almost everyone here is NSA registered." The speaker, a young black man with glasses stepped forward.

"Well, I'm sorry," Stalwart shot back. "But they aren't registered with Utopia and the NSA seems reluctant to cooperate with us...so I guess we'll have to take you all into custody and sort this out."

The young man removed his glasses and put them in his shirt pocket. "No one is leaving," he said more firmly. "David made it clear that you have no authority here."

"Your employer isn't here," laughed Stalwart, amused that a stereotypical "nerd" was standing up to him. "And she," he added with a gesture to Zoe, "has already caused an incident today."

"The day's not over yet."

"And what are you going to do, you little prick?" Stalwart shook his head in amusement. "Glare at me to death?"

"No," the boy replied. Violet wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw the hint of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "You are trespassing, you were warned, you will leave."

"Screw this," snapped Gravity with a wave of her arm. "We don't have time for this."

Zoe cried out as she was suddenly pulled down to the ground, unable to move due to the gravimetric forces holding her down.

"Can't have you running out on us, now, can we?" Gravity chuckled. With another wave of her arm, she lifted Zoe's pet Australian Shepherd off the ground which continued to bark angrily at her even though he was a couple feet in the air. "Hmmm...cute dog...I always wondered what an Aussie Shepherd pancake looked like."

"Brody..." Zoe called out weakly as she tried in vain to pull herself up off the ground. She then screamed in pain as Gravity increased the pressure on her.

"That's enough," Firewing said. "We don't want to cause an incident."

"Too late for that," Violet said. She wasn't sure if it was Gravity's cruelty, the Utopia team's overall attitude, or just the fact that she was already in a bad mood, but all it took was one glance at Gravity and an invisible forcefield ball the size of a fist suddenly slammed into the side of the blonde's head, knocking her off her feet, causing her to drop the dog back to the ground and release her hold on Zoe.

"Sheryl?" Stalwart glanced over at the fallen Gravity, taking his eyes off the "nerd", which he realized was a mistake as a large stony fist caught him on the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. It took him a second to shake his head clear from the blow. "What the hell just hit me?" he asked. Then he looked up and saw the hulking ten foot tall rocky monstrosity standing where the "nerd" once stood, cracking its knuckles and giving him a big toothy grin. "Oh...crap."

The Utopia support team had seen enough. They were under orders to support the novas and to take no action unless the situation warranted it. However, after seeing two of the three novas taken down in a couple seconds, and the sudden morphing of the "nerd" into a ten foot monster, the support team leader did what came naturally in such a situation: he panicked.

"Take 'em down!"

One moment after that order was shouted out, several dozen tranq-darts were screaming towards their targets...only to suddenly stop as they hit an invisible barrier before dropping harmlessly to the ground.

"What the-" was the last thing the group leader said before an invisible force knocked him off his feet and into a parked car. The other members of his team also met the same fate, some slamming into other vehicles or up against nearby buildings.

"Zoe," the rock-monster grumbled as he lumbered forward. "Head for the building and call David. We'll deal with-arrrgh!"

"Larry!" Zoe cried out as Firewing nailed the ten foot tall monster in the chest with an energy bolt.

"Just go!" Larry roared as he staggered back from a wave of fireballs that slammed into him. "Okay, bitch," he said, focusing on the now airborne Firewing. "I think it's time to rid the world of its favorite poster-bimbo." He started to charge the fiery nova when he was tackled by Stalwart.

"Thanks for justifying the use of force, boy," Stalwart sneered as he delivered several blows to the Larry's face, actually knocking off stone fragments with each impact. He continued to pound away on the other nova, ignoring Zoe Kilmarten as she zipped up behind him, reached out, and touched his shoulder. However, he did notice as the electrical discharge of a lightning strike ripped through his body and that the next couple seconds were probably the longest of his life as his muscles spasmed out of control and the pain ripped right through his nervous system. His pain was punctuated once again by a massive stony fist, this time landing a solid shot to the jaw, lifting him up in the air and knocking him out cold before he landed half a block away in the middle of an intersection.

"Zoe, get the hell out of here and call David," Larry growled.

"See if I ever help you again," Zoe quipped, as she picked up Brody. "You going to be okay, Larry?"

"Yeah...now go, ow!" Larry turned to refocus his attention on Firewing. "Bitch, you're really starting to piss me off."

* * *

Back in the T2M Mexico City base of operations, Lansing couldn't believe what he was watching on the main screen of the tactical response center. A highly trained retrieval team consisting of three high powered novas with a back-up strike team was being held back by a group of unregistered amateurs. He knew there was a possibility of complications, but he wasn't expecting it to completely fall apart...not like this.

Then again, maybe he should have suspected something was wrong when the surveillance feed identified one of the "unregistered" novas as Violet Parr, the heroine known as Spectrum and member of the family team group, The Incredibles. While she and her family were not registered with Utopia, the Incredibles were designated as being off limits by the Proteus Council. He was also aware of the bad blood between the Incredibles and Firewing. Although he knew there was a possibility of a chance encounter, he did not expect Violet Parr to be at SST headquarters along with several other unregistered novas.

He noted that, with the exception of Violet Parr and the rock-like monstrosity that threw McInerny down the street, the other novas were fighting defensively while, about a hundred yards away, a child who appeared to be nine or ten years of age was helping himself to a hamburger off a barbecue grill and grabbing a soda from an ice-chest. The primary target, Zoe Kilmarten, ran into the SST complex.

"What's the situation?" he asked one of the com-techs manning a terminal.

"Something knocked the support team out, Gravity is still a little dazed, McInerny is now lying in the middle of Third and Holly Street, and Firewing is squaring off against Violet Parr and that rock creature."

"This ought to be good," muttered another tech, but he immediately shut up when he saw the cold glare Lansing threw his direction.

"Hold on," said the first tech. "We got an ID on the little kid...Jack Parr, age ten. And sir...the quantum signatures we're getting off him are off the charts.

"What?" Lansing wasn't sure if he heard the man correctly. "Off the charts?"

"We're talking about signatures on par with Pax or Divis Mal."

"Really?" Lansing allowed himself a tiny grin. This changed everything. Utopia's policy when dealing with unregistered novas whose power went beyond a class 5 rating was a very sound one: containment. Even though the boy might be registered with the NSA, they would be hard-pressed to justify hiding the existence of such a powerful nova. At the very least, it would cause more of a headache for Dicker and the NSA, and Utopia would be well within their rights to take "temporary custody" of Jack Parr while they conducted an investigation. "Well, it looks like they just upped the ante. Contact T2M Central in Addis Ababa...I want Pax and Slider on stand-by."

"Sir, don't you think that's a little overkill? This is just a little kid."

"With a signature like that, do you really want to risk it? The last time we left a class 6 alone, we ended up with the Midnight Sun incident." Lansing then reached up and keyed his headset. "Gravity...can you hear me?"

He heard a soft moan and the young woman mutter, "That fucking hurt, dammit..."

"Sheryl, snap out of it. McInerny is down, and it looks like McKeen's dealing with Violet Parr and that rocky freak-show. Here's what I want you to do..."

* * *

Violet watched as the rock-like creature called Larry staggered back from another barrage of fireballs. He had managed to get a hold of Firewing once, then Kari shifted over to her full-fire form, which blackened his hands and had him screaming in pain as streams of molten rock rolled down his fore-arms. But he still kept fighting, yelling at Violet and the others to stay clear and head back to the SST building. The fight finally ended when Kari let loose a burst of energy at point-blank range into Larry's chest, throwing him across the SST parking lot where he landed on the front steps leading to the main building. His chest was still glowing from the magma burns to his body as he momentarily struggled to get up before collapsing to the ground.

"And then there was one," Kari chuckled wickedly as she looked down at Violet before landing several feet away. "You know...I really didn't want a confrontation but, I have to admit, that felt good."

"Walk away from this, Kari," Violet warned.

"Or what?" asked Firewing. "You'll erase my memory...oh wait, you already did that...several times."

"That wasn't my call," snapped Violet. "I didn't want that and I didn't know about it until much later."

"Oh, I'm sure you didn't know about it the first couple times, Vi," Kari said as she slowly walked towards Violet. "But what about the other eight or nine times, huh?"

"I'm sorry, but you were a security risk," Violet replied. "No offense, but you couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it."

Firewing angrily shook her head. "We were friends, Vi, I wouldn't have said anything."

"No," said someone else. "You just hand off little kids to the kidnapper." Both young women turned and saw Jack Parr standing nearby, munching on the last of a hamburger. "So, Kari, I see you've gone from assisting in kidnappings to actually committing them...good for you."

"Jack!" Violet shouted. "Go home!"

"Listen to your sister, boy."

Jack ignored his sister and kept his gaze on Firewing as he popped the last bit of the hamburger in his mouth. "Wow...look at you, from incompetent babysitter to super-bimbo...you've come a long way."

"You think this is a game, kiddo?" Flames erupted around Firewing's body again as struggled to keep from losing her temper. "Given what I've seen you do, I'm surprised Utopia didn't take you and your whole family in."

"Shit, why do the assholes get all the cool powers?" Jack muttered. Almost in response to his answer, an unseen force lifted him off the ground. "Hey! What the fuck!?"

"And when did nine year olds learn such language?" smirked Gravity as she grabbed hold of him. "We got new orders, Kari. Take them all in, even the Parr bastards."

Firewing smiled malevolently. "Game on," she laughed as she fired a concentrated burst of energy at Violet who managed to bring up a force-field just in time. "What's the matter, Vi? I thought you were this big and powerful heroine." Another burst actually dropped Violet to her knees, but she managed to keep the field up. "Pathetic," smirked Firewing as she unleashed a full blast that knocked Violet to the ground. "Guess you really aren't much without your family," she said as she walked towards the downed heroine.

Violet tried to get up, but was rewarded with a kick to her ribcage. She rolled with the blow, managing to get back up on her feet and block Kari's punch and counter with a judo throw.

Firewing rolled back up on her feet and smiled. "Oh, you are going to put up a fight...good, because I really want to beat the shit out of you for what you've done to me all these years."

Jack, who was trying to break free of Gravity's hold on his arm, stopped struggling and looked up at the the blonde. "Damn, do all of you Utopia have issues like this?"

Gravity blinked in surprise for a moment, not sure how to react to the boy's question. "Um, what do you mean?"

"The need to take out your personal psychological problems on others," Jack said, shaking his head. "It's really not healthy."

"Okay...since when do nine year old kids learn to talk about psychological issues?"

Jack smiled at her and shrugged. "A combination of watching too much television and seeing a family shrink."

"Your family makes you see a shrink?"

"Yep," Jack replied. "He's afraid I might suffer from delusions of godhood or something like other novas sometimes do." His eyes began to faintly glow an odd blue color. "By the way...your power to control gravity...really cool. Mind if I borrow it for a second?"

"What?" asked Gravity, paying more attention to the fight between Violet Parr and her teammate instead of her prisoner. "What are you taking abAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH HH!"

"See ya!" Jack laughed as he watched the blonde Utopia nova rocket up in the air. It wasn't until a few seconds later and she had disappeared into the horizon that he realized something. "Whoa...I think I might have overdone it."

* * *

At the T2M Tactical Response Center, chaos reigned as several techs checked their terminals while Lansing stood there, dumbfounded at what he just witnessed.

"Operative Gravity is now airborne," said one technician.

"I can see that, moron," snapped Lansing. "Where the hell is she?"

"Got her!" shouted one techician. "She just breached the upper stratosphere and is now starting to descend...um, sir...I think she's a little dazed, she doesn't seem to be in full control."

"What the hell happened?"

"It was as if someone had similar powers, overpowered her, and threw her up there."

"Wait," said Lansing. "She's never been capable of pushing herself that hard...and she's never traveled that high up before."

"It looks like she's trying to control her descent, but her bio-readings aren't looking good. Looks like she's got a fifty percent chance of surviving the impact."

"Track her trajectory and feed it to T2M central immediately!" Suddenly, the screens began to flicker, static beginning to obscure the video feed on the main monitors. "What fuck is it now?" Lansing growled.

"Sir, we're getting some sort of interference with our vid-link. It's as if-" The technician stopped in mid-sentence as the main screen suddenly went gray, the secondary screens doing the same a second later, all of them displaying the same message: Signal Lost. "Shit, we just lost this the signal, sir."

Lansing was about to fire back an insult, but was suddenly cut off by his cell-phone ringing. Curious, he picked up the phone and answered it. "This is Lansing."

"You really don't know how to take a hint, do you?" said the voice at the other end of the phone.

Lansing almost crushed the phone in his hand when he recognized the voice. "Flynn."

"Wow...you actually called me Flynn instead of 'Pine'," David Flynn chuckled. "I guess you can be taught."

"You have no idea who you're dealing wi-"

David cut off Lansing's threat. "Spare me the threats, Lansing. I've heard it before, but since you're one for repetition, I'll say it again: you were warned to stay away. You didn't, so now you pay the price."

"Do you really think you can wage a war with us, boy?"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid to do something like that?" David chuckled again. "Give me some credit, Lansing. But trust me...in the next few hours, you'll be too busy doing damage control to even think about me."

The line went dead and Lansing cursed silently before finally losing it and throwing his cell-phone across the room. "Son of a bitch!" he screamed.

"Sir?" asked the communications technician.

Lansing managed to calm himself and looked up at the various staff members. "Okay, patch into T2M central, give them a sit-rep, and hopefully they'll be able to do something. In the meantime, all we can do now is wait."

He lowered himself back into his seat and stared at the blank screen on the wall.

_Just keep it up, Flynn...your time is coming and I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer._

* * *

Violet managed to hold her own against Kari. Though Firewing's nova abilities were far more powerful than Violet's, she was only average at physical fighting. It wasn't until Violet managed to land a couple solid shots to her face that Firewing decided to kick on her flame shield so Violet couldn't physically touch her without getting burned.

Unfortunately, for Firewing, Violet encased her own body with a shaped forcefield. Though she didn't physically touch Firewing with each punch or kick, the hardened forcefields surrounding her fists and lower legs had no problem hitting their target.

"Bitch!" Firewing screamed as she scrambled back to her feet and wiped the blood off her mouth. "You think you can take me on?"

"You're the one who wanted this, Kari," Violet said grimly. She could feel a slight pain in her ribcage from where Firewing had kicked her...she definitely had a couple broken ribs and some minor burns, but she also knew that the other nova was hurting as well. "You shouldn't have come here."

"There you go again, always so full of yourself." Firewing's eyes flared a bright amber color and her body shifted to her full fire form. "You're nothing!" she screamed as she fired a concentrated beam of energy at Violet again. "I'm the one with the power! I'm the hero here!"

Violet immediately dropped her forcefield as she dove out of the way, avoiding the energy beam as it tore a small trench in the ground. "Okay," she said. "Time to end this." Her eyes glowed a faint purple as she concentrated, creating a spherical forcefield, but not around herself.

"What the hell is this?" snarled Firewing as her next energy blast was absorbed by the forcefield surrounding her. "You think this can hold me? I'll just blast my way through."

Violet winced at the small migraine she was starting to get as Firewing continued to fire away at the forcefield. The pain continued to build, but Violet kept concentrating on the field even as Firewing tried to go airborne. "You...just...don't...get...it," she said through clenched teeth.

Firewing noticed the sphere surrounding her was starting to darken..becoming more a more visible purple color...more solid. Her eyes widened in panic as she realized what was happening and, instinctively, let loose with a full barrage of heated plasma.

The dull throbbing in Violet's head changed to a stabbing sensation behind her eyes, the pain making her dizzy and making her drop to her knees, but she kept her mind on the field. In the now visible purple sphere, Firewing's body had returned to her flesh and blood form and found herself clutching her throat as she gasped for air...air that was no longer there because her fiery powers had consumed it.

Violet focused all her energy on that sphere for a few more seconds, levitating it several feet in the air. Then, just as she could feel her consciousness beginning to fade, she let go...and the pain suddenly disappeared, along with her forcefield, dropping a gasping Firewing to the ground. Violet walked up to the downed Utopia agent and waited until Kari tried to push herself up off the ground. "Lights out, bitch," she said, a solidified forcefield covering her right hand as hit impacted Kari's jaw. There was a sickening crunch and Violet saw blood and tooth fragments fly through the air before Firewing hit the ground, unconscious. She shook her head as she looked down at the unconscious nova. "You may be more powerful than me, Kari...but you're still a loser. That will never change."

Slow clapping from behind made her turn around and she saw Stalwart standing there. Apparently, he had regained consciousness and made his way back to the battle. "Wow," he said, looking at the unconscious Firewing. "I didn't think you had it in you, girl." He started to make his way towards her, cracking his knuckles. "How about we call it a day and you just surren-"

He was cut off when a black BMW Mini-Cooper S slammed into him, causing him to stagger a few feet before a blue bolt of energy hit him in the chest and dropped him to his knees. Violet looked for where the blast came from and saw David Flynn walking towards her, a familiar looking gauntlet on his right fore-arm. For a moment, she panicked, remembering the last time she saw that kind of device being used. Even the cold expression she saw on David's face matched the one his father used and she could have sworn, in that instant, she was looking at Syndrome. But then "Syndrome" disappeared when she saw the concern in his eyes as he spoke.

"You okay?" he asked, firing another bolt of zero-point energy at Stalwart. The gauntlet on his arm started to spark and he swore. "Ah, shit...still can't get these things to work." He pulled the gauntlet off his arm and threw it Stalwart, who merely laughed as it bounced off him and landed at his feet.

"You think that's going to-" Again, Stalwart was cut off as the sparking gauntlet exploded, the energy throwing him high up in the air before he once again came crashing down half a block away, in the same intersection he had landed in earlier.

David walked up to Violet. "You okay, Parr?" he asked again.

Violet said nothing...her mind still trying to separate the father from the son. She was injured, tired, and exhausted and part of her wanted to black out, which she almost did as she started to collapse to the ground.

"Whoa...hold on there." David caught her and helped her stay on her feet. "No blacking out on me, girl. Your father would beat the shit out of me if you do."

Violet couldn't help laughing. "He probably still will." Her chuckle started to turn into coughing.

"Don't laugh," David said as he helped her to a nearby bench. "Just sit down and keep breathing."

Jack joined them, pausing to look at David for a moment. "You lied," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"That day we met a couple months ago. You said you were a bad guy."

"No, I said I was sort of a bad guy." David smiled at the kid. "Um...look, think you can look after your sister for a few minutes? I need to check on the others." He pulled his cell-phone out of his pocket and handed it to Violet. "As much as I dread this...call your parents, let them know what was going on and have them come get you both. Knowing Utopia, we can expect a real T2M nova team here and I don't want you two to get into any more trouble."

"A little late for that," Violet said. "Wasn't really your fault, though, the runt brought me here."

"Hey!" protested Jack. "I wasn't planning on getting in a fight."

"Look, I'm really sorry about this, Violet," said David. "Really, I am."

"It's okay," Violet assured him. "One question: Do SST employees have a good medical plan?"

"Yeah...and dental."

"Good to know, because I expect this to be covered by it."

David grinned at her, but said nothing. Instead, he nodded and walked off towards the SST entrance where Zoe and a few others were helping Larry. However, his smile faded and his face became a cold mask as he saw Larry, now in his human form, with what appeared to be first and second degree burns on his chest, face, and hands.

Zoe ran up and hugged David. "David, you're here! It's terrible, they showed up and tried to take me-"

"Zoe, chill," David said. "I saw what happened. One thing...did any of you attack first?"

"No," rasped Larry. "We did as you said. We defended ourselves and let them start it."

The smile returned to David's lips. "Good. Now let's get Larry here to medical. Zoe, take Brody and stay inside for now. I also want you to access all our security footage from the last hour from our campus cameras and the ones we have on the nearby streets." He then turned to a Native-American man who was applying a bandage to one of Larry's arms. "Null, after you and the others get Larry to medical, help Zoe go through the footage and make sure the time index is visible."

Null gave him a knowing grin. "A little bit of D&E?"

"Yep," David chuckled. "Damage and Embarrass. Now...if you'll excuse me. I'm expecting some more guests in a couple minutes. I have a sneaking suspicion that we might get a visit from Pax."

"Wow," laughed Null. "We haven't even officially opened to the public and we're now hitting the big time."

David nodded and walked out to the SST parking lot which was rapidly thawing out...the ice now turned to slush. He was actually impressed...it looked like Shiro's "instant ice glaze" machine worked. It had no real application, but it was great for creating hockey rinks that would disappear quickly. He glanced down at his watch and then looked back up at the sky.

_C'mon...my crew just took down a retrieval team and you saw most of it on satellite feed. You people have to show up sooner or later._

Five minutes later, he saw a shimmering portal flare open in the middle of the street in front of the SST parking lot. When the light dimmed, he could see a red-haired young woman and blond muscular man in T2M uniforms standing there with a handful of soldiers. Above them, Caestus Pax, the leader of Team Tomorrow slowly descended from the sky to land in front of them. David turned to look down the street and saw several vehicles from various local television stations starting to pull up. The sound of rotor blades made him look up and he could make out at least three news choppers flying overhead...no doubt trying to get a closer look at the great Caestus Pax as he and his team _heroically_ showed up to deal with whatever trouble would make for a good story.

_Except they don't have much to go on since I killed their satellite feed so they don't have a good story to manufacture and feed the press. _He allowed himself a small chuckle as he walked towards the Utopia group and the small crowd of reporters that were starting to form around Caestus Pax. _Okay, Pax...let's see how you spin this one._

"Firewing, Stalwart, and Gravity were leading an incident response team to take a newly erupted unregistered nova into custody," Pax was saying to the media. David managed to stifle his laughter when he heard that statement, but he had to admit that Pax certainly knew how to feed the media the most exquisite form of bullshit.

"They were able to track the unregistered nova down to this facility," Pax continued. "What we didn't realize is that they were being led into an ambush where several other unregistered novas were waiting to-"

"Oh god!" David laughed, interrupting the bald Superman-knockoff and causing the reporters to turn around. "Are you sheep really that gullible?"

If looks could kill, David was certain that the glare he got from Caestus Pax would have flash-fried him and left just enough ashes to fill an ash-tray. Then again, Pax WAS capable of shooting lasers out of his eyes...or so the media claimed, but David never really put much stock on what the Utopia sponsored N! Channel reported.

"You don't deny that you have unregistered novas at your facility, Mr. Flynn?" asked one reporter that David recognized as belonging to the local N! Channel affiliate.

"I deny nothing," David replied. Then he smiled at the young woman. "Though I'm sure you'll make up something or report whatever Mr. Clean over there tells you to report."

"Hey," the lady snapped. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you secretly employing unregistered novas?"

David ignored her and addressed the rest of the crowd. "Hey, are there any reporters here who are not affiliated with N! Channel or sucking up to Pax?"

He could hear several gasps of shock and outrage, along with some snickering laughter from other reporters. He saw some of the Utopia soldiers raise their weapons and he was certain that he had at least a half dozen laser dots on him as he started to approach Pax, the reporters parting in front of him. He kept walking until he stopped a few feet away from the other nova.

"Holy shit!"

"Are they going to fight?"

"Keep filming...this is going to boost our ratings!"

David smiled again as he heard the various whispers coming from the reporters, but he kept his gaze on Pax. "So...Pax," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "Go on with your story...really, it sounds good. I do believe you left off with 'Unregistered' novas lying in ambush."

"It's the truth," Pax almost snarled. "Your people took down the retrieval team without any kind of provocation."

David arched an eyebrow. "Really?" he said, feigning confusion for a moment. "So...um...do you have proof of this?"

"The retrieval teams statements will verify the facts," Pax sneered at him, then he lowered his voice so only David could hear him. "And trust me, we have enough evidence to lock your ass up."

"Oh, I'm sure Firewing and her friends will act like good little monkeys and respond the way they're trained," David said. He then looked over his shoulder at the reporters. "Just curious, people. Who here wants copies of our surveillance videos? In the next hour, I'll be releasing the footage to any and all media outlets interested in what happened tonight."

The reaction from the crowd of reporters was priceless. Until he mentioned that he was going to give them video evidence, the media was clearly focused on Pax and the others from Project Utopia. Now they were suddenly surrounding him, shouting questions and fighting to be the first to get the evidence from him.

"So...how about it, Pax?" he asked. "You really want to go forward with the shit you've been shoveling?"

"Those novas you have are not registered with Utopia," Pax rumbled.

"I'm sorry, but last time I checked...registering with Utopia was voluntary. And, for the record, most of them are registered with the NSA. And trust me, after the eleven o'clock news, I have a feeling your people are going to have a lot to answer for."

He then turned and started to walk away, leaving a seething Caestus Pax glaring at him as he pushed his way through the reporters. When he managed to get free of the reporters, he could see Stalwart and Firewing being loaded into separate ambulances along with the rest of the members of the initial 'retrieval' team that Violet Parr had taken down. The only person missing was the nova called Gravity, but a quick mental link to an overhead satellite tracked her trajectory which ended somewhere in a canyon in Utah. According to the communications he was able to track, Gravity was still alive, but several bones were broken from impact and she would definitely be out of action.

_The damn bitch deserves it,_ he thought to himself, _especially after what she did to Zoe._

He started to make his way back to the SST building, but stopped when he got the feeling he was being watched. He turned, and noticed the red-haired woman, the Utopia nova called Slider, staring at him. "Is there something I can help you with, Miss Landers?" he asked.

"It didn't have to be like this," she said sadly. What struck David as odd was the fact that she actually sounded sincere. "We could have worked something out."

"No, we couldn't, Slider. And after what your people did to Jake McKinney earlier this year, did you really think there weren't going to be problems?" He turned away again and started to head back to the SST building.

"That was an accident." Again, Jennifer Landers sounded sincere and that did bother David. "Maybe the situation was handled poorly, but that was just one incident."

David suddenly turned on her. "Just one incident?" repeated David. "Are you really certain about that? Tell me something, Slider...what do you know about the situation? They gunned a twelve year old kid down in the street because he didn't want to go with you people. His parents basically signed him away without his consent." The woman was about to say something but David cut her off. "And don't say that it's a bunch of BS, because I've seen the memos. And while you may not believe me, let me ask you this. Registering with Utopia is on a voluntary basis, but why is it that Utopia seems to be pressuring newly erupted novas to sign on? And why did they target a young girl today...a girl, who I might add, doesn't need to be 'trained' in how to use her abilities? She wasn't threatening anyone, but it was your poster-slut who outed her to the public and then showed up with a little gestapo team to bring her in."

"That's not how it went down."

"Actually, Slider...it really did go down that way...the video footage will prove that." His voice softened a little. He actually had no problem with Slider, Jennifer Landers actually was a decent person and did use her teleporting powers to help people...doing everything from emergency evacuations to 'porting food and medical supplies to refugees in hostile countries. Her reputation and "girl next door" looks earned her the nickname as "the world's sweetheart".

"I don't know what I can say or do to convince you of this, Landers," he said. "But you really need to open your eyes. Yeah, Utopia's doing good...but what about the stuff you don't know? The stuff that doesn't get aired on N! Channel or the lesser networks? Believe me...they're not the shining example of humanitarians they want you to believe them to be." He then resumed his trek back to the SST building. "Walk away from this, Landers," he said over his shoulder. "You're better off believing in the dream instead of living with the nightmare."

* * *

_In a surprising development from a just a few hours ago, the world looked on in shock and horror as footage of Utopia agents assaulting young novas in an attempt to 'retrieve' a teen-aged girl was released on the internet and given to multiple major news outlets worldwide. Justin Laragione, the Director of Project Utopia, has declined to comment, but the images clearly show that the Utopia nova agents did attack without provocation. It was also noted that the novas known as Stalwart and Gravity were not only involved in this incident, but were also involved in the tragic death of young nova Jacob McKinney earlier this year in a similar incident. This evidence was accompanied by a memo that had been circulated among Utopia recruitment staff regarding what has been described by some as 'snatch and grab' operations._

_When confronted with this and other evidence, Caestus Pax, leader of Team Tomorrow also declined to comment, but did say that a thorough investigation would be conducted and that Stalwart and Gravity have been reassigned during the investigation._

_David Flynn, the president of Syndrome Software & Technologies, was present at the scene and did admit that there was an incident involving Project Utopia and an attempt to kidnap one of his employees, but failed to provide further comment, stating that he would be holding a public press conference in the next twenty-four hours to address the events that occurred._

_For CNN, this is Brian Taggert reporting..._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Interlude**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own Aberrant, don't own Incredibles. White Wolf and Disney/Pixar do...but daaaamn, these two fandoms mesh together perfectly, don't they?

Author's Notes: Sorry people, no press conference here. This chapter kind of crept up on me and pushed the other one back.

* * *

_It really bugs the hell out of me...that phrase, "For the Greater Good". I'm no real student of history, but I've certainly lived my share of it, most of it a living hell. I've seen and done things under the premise that it's "For the Greater Good", and I'd like to believe that, in most of those situations, I did the right thing. But there have times that I've questioned myself and wondered if what I, or others, did was really for the greater good._

_But then, there are some who believe that "For the Greater Good" means "We can get away with whatever the hell we want because we have the power and you don't." Some would say that applies to certain novas, like those that make up the Teragen. In a few cases, that might be true. But I don't see the Teragen using novas to reshape human society as a whole and claiming 'because it's for the greater good'. No...it's the baseslines running Utopia that are doing that._

_-_From the private journal of Richard Dicker, director, NSA.

* * *

Justin Laragione found himself staring at his reflection in the window of his office overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It was about two in the morning and, despite the lights from the city below, it was still dark enough for him to make out the detailed features of his profile. He could see the haggard look in his eyes, and could spot the tiniest flecks of gray hair that were starting to appear due to the stress of this job. He was half-expecting to go bald, but thankfully, he got the gray hairs instead. Despite the dire situation he was dealing with, he couldn't help chuckling at the fact that, at the still young age of 35, that he was relieved that the haggard eyes and gray hairs were the only visible signs of stress. Then again, as the overall Director of Project Utopia, it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

He laughed again, but this time, there was no humor in it. Yes, he was the Director of Project Utopia, but right now, he felt like he was more a figurehead than anything else. Oh sure, he was the man who the United Nations turned to when they wanted assistance from Project Utopia and he was certain that they viewed him as the man "in charge" of Project Utopia, but the reality was far different than the perception.

When Utopia was first formed, Margaret Mercer, granddaughter of Aeon Society founder Max Mercer, was put in charge of the project, but left after only a couple years in that post. He was then installed as Director, but found himself being monitored by a Aeon created group called "Proteus" which supposedly served as a "watchdog" over Utopia and its operations. Justin was no fool, he knew a power grab when he saw one, and when that bitch Thetis put forward the Proteus proposal right after he had been made Director of Utopia, he saw what was coming...as did his predecessor. However, despite the objections of himself, Margaret Mercer, and Phillip Lavielle, the rest of the Aeon Society council members overrode him, citing his "inexperience" and Mercer's "reluctance to do what needs to be done" as reasons for Proteus.

And in the last four years, Thetis (Justin, nor any other of his colleagues knew her full name) made sure that Justin knew who really called the shots. One of her first acts was to "exile" him to Utopia's offices in New York, saying that it would make sense that the Director of Utopia should be at "ground zero" at the UN whenever a crisis occurred. On paper, that made sense, it was only logical that the Director of Project Utopia be in a position where he can immediately be in touch with the international community. But that was a load of BS. Again, Laragione went to the Aeon Council and, again, he was overridden. It was during this time that a new position was created within Utopia, Director of International Operations, a post that oversaw most Team Tomorrow and nova-related operations. To fill that position, Thetis appointed Jonathan Lansing.

Justin knew very little about Lansing, but it didn't take long for him to make an accurate assessment: Lansing was an asshole and Justin was certain that the man was a Proteus operative. Too many "incidents" had happened on Lansing's watch, incidents that would have led to the termination of employment or prison if someone else had been in Lansing's position. However, no matter the charges leveled against him, Lansing always seemed to come through without so much of a scandal. Those who had complaints against the man either withdrew their charges or suddenly had accidents. Justin remembered the first such "accident" in '02, when he and Hiram Goldberg, a nova codenamed "Slag" and one of Justin's best friends since High School, quietly investigated one of Lansing's questionable actions in Calcutta. Hiram had claimed that he had found what they were looking for and that he would deliver the proof to Justin in New York.

The proof never came. Hiram Goldberg was killed within twenty-four hours of contacting Justin. It was said that he had stumbled across a terrorist cell in Hong Kong, but Justin knew better. A few calls through unofficial channels and calling in a couple favors got him the truth. The nova assassin Totentanz had killed Goldberg and, to make matters worse, the paper trail led to a front company that was owned by the Triton Foundation, the Utopia sponsored medical research firm. In other words, the organization he was in charge of bankrolled the murder of his best friend. The next four years, he found himself fighting a war on two fronts, one with Utopia's critics and the other with people in his own organization. He knew Thetis was behind most of his problems, but he had no idea how much influence the bitch had until it was too late.

For the last three and a half years, Justin quietly kept track of Lansing's activity, noting every discrepancy no matter how small and investigating it. Things finally came to a head a couple months ago when Lansing sent a retrieval team to "recruit" an newly erupted nova, a twelve year old boy named Jacob McKinney. The boy's parents were more than willing to sign over custody of their child, which sickened Justin. Who in their right mind would literally sell their own child? The boy didn't want to go, and did what any scared teen would do: he panicked and sent sonic shock-waves through the city, taking down most of the retrieval team except for Stalwart, Gravity, and the snipers that were on nearby rooftops. Tragically, the boy was gunned down, on Lansing's orders, and it was caught on video.

Justin finally had his proof and was able to convince a Utopia employee to testify against Lansing at a meeting of the Aeon Council. And...once again...his witness against Lansing died...supposedly in an accident while rock climbing. As usual, Thetis and her Proteus group once again made sure Lansing was safe, effectively burying the story by paying most of the news networks to not air the story or simply by intimidating them.

However, now, he had another problem and yet, unlike other high ranking officials in Utopia and the Aeon Council, Justin wasn't sure what to make of the problem. When David Flynn first surfaced on Utopia's radar a view months ago, Justin saw yet another young nova within NSA jurisdiction who didn't care much for Project Utopia. As Director of Utopia, it was his job to investigate any nova who might be a possible threat, but the Aeon Council officially stepped in and told him that David Flynn was not of any concern and that he was an NSA problem. That was the official line.

Unofficially, they were freaked out about David Flynn. He spooked them to the point that even Thetis seemed worried. When Justin inquired what the problem was, he was simply told that it was nothing and that he should stay in New York and mind his own business. In other words: "It's none of your concern, you're just a pawn, go about your business and play nice to the public."

And yet, Justin couldn't help smiling as he noted how concerned the members of Aeon became when David Pine Flynn went public with the announcement of his company, Syndrome Software & Technologies. The boy had somehow acquired some of the financial assets of his father's company, Pine Industries and was using it to start his own business. When the Aeon Council and Thetis screamed at Justin, demanding that he should step in as Director of Utopia and do something about David Flynn possibly violating the Science Techology laws, he took great pleasure in telling them where to get off.

"Sorry," he had told them. "But given the information I have on him and from what little information you've been willing to give me, I'm afraid I cannot act without violating our own charter agreement we made with the UN. You have also informed me that he falls within NSA jurisdiction and that he was, and a I quote, 'not of any concern' to me."

The reactions on the faces of the Aeon Council members were priceless. Most of them were outraged, especially Thetis who looked like she was about to throw a very uncharacteristic tantrum. He then told them that he would be more than willing to act on their behalf if he had more information about David Flynn. That statement made most of them shut up immediately. They were still angry with Justin for his response, but they were still unwilling to let him know what was going on. Upon their refusal, he informed them that his business was concluded and that he should, as Thetis had pointed out to him, return to New York and "play nice with the public" for them.

That was when Thetis brought Lansing into the picture, and that confirmed to Justin that they saw David Flynn as a serious threat. Justin felt sorry for Flynn, figuring the young man would probably suffer the same fate as Jake McKinney, deemed a "threat" that had to be "put down out of concern for the safety of the public." What Justin hadn't counted on was David Flynn taking the fight to them. First, there was the incident with the communication and weapons satellites that supposedly 'malfunctioned'. Then there was the sudden resistance by Rick Dicker of the NSA who decided that the NSA database on super-powered beings would not be made available to Project Utopia.

And finally, there was tonight. A minor incident involving a nova affiliated with David Flynn was reported by Firewing, a new member of the Americas branch of Team Tomorrow. Lansing, without even notifying Justin, decided to activate a retrieval team to bring the nova in. The fact that Lansing had brought in an assault team and two nova operatives who had a brutal reputation told Justin that this was personal in some way. Justin knew that this was a PR nightmare waiting to happen, but he didn't expect it to go the way it did. David Flynn and his people had not only managed to stand up to the retrieval team, but succeeded in taking them down.

But the frightening thing about the incident was that it had become obvious that David Flynn had several novas working for him. Even more frightening was that they were unable to pull any useful surveillance footage from their satellite feeds or any of the local monitoring stations...it was as if they were being blocked or the data was corrupted. The only footage available of the incident was the footage from SST surveillance cameras (which were just about everywhere around the facility and nearby city blocks) and "raw" footage taken from eyewitnesses on cell-phone or from local media networks who only arrived in time to catch a statement from Caestus Pax and then watch Team Tomorrow's leader get verbally ripped apart in front of them before being given footage of what really happened.

Justin had attempted to contact Phillip Lavielle, the Director of the Aeon Society, and got no answer. Somehow that didn't surprise Justin, the old man was probably shitting bricks about this incident in California and frantically screaming at the other members of the Council to do something. Of course, Justin wasn't called to this meeting...if there was one. After all, he was just a "pawn".

However, given the events that had happened in the last few hours, there was one thing he was going to do and, this time, Thetis and her little cabal couldn't do anything about it. He took one last look at the city below him before turning back to his desk and picking up the phone. Part of him knew he was going to enjoy this, but another part of him, the more jaded part who had seen too much, felt this was yet another round in a war without end.

The phone rang for a few seconds, but he was certain that the person on the other end was hesitating to answer as opposed to not being able to answer. After the fourth ring, they finally picked up.

"Yes." Simple, blunt, to the point, and no hint of emotion...the typical Jonathan Lansing response.

"Hello, Lansing."

"Director Laragione." Another simple and blunt response, but there was emotion this time...disdain at having to deal with an inferior...though Justin could have sworn that the impeccable Jonathan Robert Lansing involuntarily let some fear creep into his voice.

_Might as well twist the knife,_ thought Justin.

"Let's cut the crap, Lansing. You fucked up."

"Those are harsh words, _Director_," the sarcasm to Justin's title was obvious in Lansing's voice. "After all, you are hardly aware of the scope of the situation."

"Oh, really? Let's take a look at the situation: you sent a heavily armed retrieval team along with three of our more powerful novas to...and I'm reading this off the memo...'take an unregistered nova into custody' who, according to the reports, didn't warrant such heavy measures. Care to explain that one to me?"

For one second, there was hesitation, but Lansing's response was straight forward...well...as straight forward as one could be when trying to pass off a line of BS as fact. "She was affiliated with David Flynn...that warranted the extra security."

"Oh, it did, did it?" Justin kept his voice cold and professional, trying not to enjoy the fact that he had this bastard at the point of the proverbial gun. "I remember inquiring about Flynn and, according to the intelligence reports that were filed by one of our operatives a couple months ago, Flynn was designated a...and I'm reading off the report here...'designated a low level risk and not a threat to Project Utopia'. And, now that I think about it...I'm looking at who filed this report and, oddly enough, it had your name on it."

This time, there was no response on the other end, so Justin continued.

"So, tell me, Lansing," he said. "If David Flynn was not deemed a 'threat', why go after the girl who, by the way was already documented, really posed no threat? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were pursuing a personal vendetta of some sort." He paused for a moment, letting that sink in. "Is there something that I should know, Lansing? Something that justifies the cluster-fuck you put us in?"

"Sir, we have evidence that-"

"Give it up, Lansing...we don't have shit, and your people haven't had time to manufacture any facts to save your ass because the only footage available is what Flynn has."

"David Flynn and his group represent a threat to Project Utopia that had to be-"

"Had to be what, Johnny? Put down because he offended you and your masters? Or was this more personal?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The denial came easily from Lansing...obviously well practiced. "And I'd be careful making charges like that."

"Not this time, Lansing," Justin replied, not even bothered by the implied threat. "You got away with a lot of shit; and while you may know where the bodies are buried, Thetis and her little bunch aren't going to help you out of this one. You were the one calling the shots on this, and this situation has turned into a serious disaster. They're going to look for a sacrificial lamb, and guess what...you're it."

This time, the pretense of denial was gone. "You don't want to play this game with me, Director. I have friends in places that-"

"That will toss you aside for being a fucking embarrassment. So spare me the threats, Lansing. You can't get yourself out of this, but I also know that if I come after you now, this is going to rip us apart and possible destroy Utopia as a whole."

"Then I guess we're at a stalemate, _Director_."

"No, we aren't, Jonathan," Justin countered. "Like I said, Utopia needs a scapegoat for this shit storm and, combined with your involvement in the McKinney incident, this is going to play well in the media. It will be seen as Utopia finally coming clean and dealing with 'incompetent' bureaucrats who made disastrous decisions. You'll be taking the blame for this, which is kind of ironic because you really are responsible for it. I just wish we could nail you for the other shit you got away with. At the very least, you're going to be tossed out of Utopia, and quite frankly, I'll be happy with that."

"Do you really think it'll be that easy?"

"Nothing is that easy, Lansing. I'm not an idiot and I know that bitch you answer to will probably appoint some other asshole in your place, but that's going to take time. You, on the other hand, will be gone and, while I don't approve of their actions, I'm sure your associates will deal with you 'accordingly'. I expect your resignation to be e-mailed to me within the next twenty-four hours."

"You can't do this, Director!" The sarcasm on the word "Director" was now missing.

"Twenty-four hours, Lansing," Justin said, doing his best to stifle the chuckle. "If not...I think people might be interested in the string of coincidental deaths that happened whenever you came under investigation."

He hung up the phone, knowing that he shouldn't enjoy this moment but, dammit, it felt good. But even as he leaned back in his chair, the seriousness of the situation darkened his mood. Lansing might be out of the picture, but it wouldn't be long before Thetis replaced him.

_And chances are, it'll probably be someone even worse. I thought Maggie was insane for giving up this job, but now I know why...it's hard to tell who your friends and enemies are...and we're supposed to be on the same damn side._

His phone rang and part of him was wondering if it was Thetis calling him with a new batch of threats and orders, but he doubted that even she could make those kind of things happen in less than two minutes...maybe in five, but not two.

"This is Laragione," he said.

"Justin?" It was a woman's voice, but not the one he had expected to hear. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a couple years.

"Maggie?" Justin asked. He clearly wasn't excpecting Margaret Mercer to call him. "That you?"

"Yes, it's me." Mercer sounded like she had been crying. "He's dead, Justin."

"Who's dead?"

"Phillip...the bastards killed Phillip."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Flashpoint Part 3**

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own Incredibles or Aberrant. Disney and White Wolf do.

* * *

"_Phillip Lavielle, a founding member and the current Director of the Aeon Society, was murdered this morning in Washington D.C. Though details have not been given at this time, there have been speculations that the Teragen might have been responsible..."_

-CNN

"_Phillip Lavielle was instrumental in the creation of Project Utopia and his tragic death will be mourned by the many people who had worked with him and called him friend. Authorities have declined to provide new information, though an representative from Project Utopia did state that there was evidence that the nova terrorist group known as the Teragen was responsible for the attack."_

-N!Channel News

"_The streets of the Capitol were awakened today by news of a powerful political figure assassinated on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial..."_

-NBC

"_While Project Utopia attempts to play down the incident in California, one of the key players in the creation of the organization was murdered early this morning. Phillip Lavielle, a founder and the Director of the enigmatic Aeon Society, has been a controversial figure since the creation of Utopia in 1999..."_

-FOX

"_You can bet those right-wing nutjobs are just dying to dance in the streets because they see Lavielle's death as a good thing. If they were behind it, I hope Pax and his crew beat the living shit out of them and anyone else who opposes Utopia."_

-Air America, "The Brandi Miller Show"

"_It's interesting to note that all the networks are suddenly covering Lavielle's death and trying to play down the fact that Utopia fucked up in California last night. One would almost think that there might be something to the so called 'conspiracy theories' we keep seeing on the 'net these days. Though I have to admit there is a silver lining to all this...Firewing had to have her jaw wired shut, so that might help out Utopia a little. The last thing we need is for that glorified bimbo to open her mouth for anything other than Pax's package."_

_-_XM Radio, "The Henry 'Duke' Rollo Show"

* * *

David glanced at his watch and found himself wondering what a normal eighteen year old would be doing at eight fifty-nine on a Tuesday morning. Some people his age would be getting ready for work, if not working already, though he was certain that most eighteen year olds would probably still be sleeping in.

_Then again, most eighteen year olds aren't novas who are trying to create their own corporation._

However, as he stepped up to the small podium that was set up outside the main entrance to the SST facility, he momentarily wished he was just a baseline young adult, sleeping in and not having anything to do with the bloodthirsty hyenas that were gathered out in front of his company. Earlier, Null had suggested in rigging up a couple water cannons to get rid of them, but David reminded him that he did call for this press conference and it would be bad publicity to attack the reporters after inviting them to show up.

"Good morning." He gave the small crowd of reporters a tiny smile. "And thank you for coming."

A young woman's hand immediately shot up in the air and David recognized her as the annoying brunette who worked for N! Channel. She didn't even wait for David to acknowledge her. "Is it true that you're the son of the villain known as Syndrome?"

David looked at her for a moment, ignoring the murmurs from the crowd. It was no secret, he had already given an interview a couple months ago telling the public that he was the illegitimate son of Buddy Pine. Obviously, the bitch, or more likely her employers, wanted to start things off in a negative light, hence the "hostile" question.

"Wow," David chuckled. "Didn't even have a chance to give my opening remarks and the monkeys working for Utopia are already trying to start something."

Several reporters chuckled heartily at that, but David noticed the looks of unease and outright hostility on some of the reporters that he considered to be biased towards Utopia.

"Yes," he continued. "I am the son of Buddy Pine..aka Syndrome...the evil bad man who killed a bunch of supers about a decade ago. I do believe we covered that story a couple months ago on CNN...so it's rather a moot point." He looked directly at the N! Channel reporter, letting in just a hint of ice to his voice. "Unlike you, I am here to talk about last night, not try to avoid it."

There was silence for a moment as David and the young woman glared at each other, but the reporter kept her mouth shut.

"Anyway," David continued. "As you all know by now, a retrieval team was sent in by Project Utopia without request or consent. They came after one of my employees, trespassed on private property, and assaulted some people that worked here." He glanced at the N! Channel reporter again, smiling slightly. "Despite the creative talents of certain individuals gathered here today, the raw video footage provided to all of you proves that my statements are true. Utopia attacked, my people defended themselves, end of story. Any questions?"

A reporter wearing the tag for MSNBC raised his hand and waited for David to nod at him before he asked his question. "I heard that you are looking at the possibility of filing charges, is that true?"

Before he answered the man, David looked back at the N! Channel reporter. "See," he said in a semi-mocking tone, "that's how it's done." Again, his comment got some laughter, but David ignored the venomous look on the woman's face and went back to answering the reporter from MSNBC. "Yes, I am looking at filing charges. Though I doubt the criminal charges will stick, I do think the lawsuit has a good chance of going through. One of my people, a Larry Kramer, was seriously injured by Firewing and I'm sure his family will be looking at legal action as well."

"Do you really think the lawsuit will go through?" This question was asked by a reporter from CNN.

"I don't know," David replied. "I know that Utopia will probably fight it, but I think they will settle, especially given the amount of evidence against them."

"Do you think they'll come back and try again?"

"They might, but I don't think that would be a good idea for them."

A reporter for CBS raised her hand. "What makes you so sure? Caestus Pax has stated that he and Team Tomorrow are conducting an investigation."

"Oh, I'm sure Pax will be very busy 'investigating', but I'm not too concerned about him. His idea of 'investigation' means manufacturing some facts to support whatever story he can come up with. The problem is that he requires an imagination to do that and, well, aside from coming up with ideas for the next batch of action figures made in his likeness, he isn't very imaginative." David laughed along with most of the reporters, but kept a wary eye on the N!Channel reporter who was angrily tapping on the keypad to her phone. "But seriously, we are in the right here. We did not break any laws...and yet, Utopia harasses one of my people, trespasses on private property, and then assaults my employees who, as you all saw from the footage of last night, only defended themselves."

He shot another glare at the N!Channel reporter. "Those, ladies and gentlemen of the press, are the facts. As for Utopia coming after us again, they're going to have some problems because, technically, we fall under NSA jurisdiction. The next time they come after us, they will have to do it through official channels. They can't afford another embarrassment like this."

David was about to acknowledge a reporter from the BBC when the bitch from N!Channel spoke up again.

"What about the rumor that members of the super team, The Incredibles, were involved?"

David suddenly turned and refocused his attention on the woman. He was really starting to hate this lady. He made sure that the footage he released to the public did not have any clear shots of Violet or Jack Parr. He managed to give her a patronizing smile when he answered her question. "Interesting rumor, but as you just said...it must be a rumor. Given our shared history, I find it unlikely that the Incredibles would come to my aid."

It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

"According to witnesses, Spectrum was involved in the battle with Firewing," the reporter said. "Her indigo forcefield bubbles are kind hard to not miss."

"Do you have actual visual confirmation of this?" David asked her, knowing full well, that while eyewitnesses did see the forcefield bubbles, no one was close enough to see Violet. "Because, I can name off six different novas, four of them who are registered with Utopia, whose forcefields look similar."

"That wasn't a denial."

David's eyes narrowed as he faced down the reporter. "Nor is it confirmation and I would appreciate it if you would start reporting facts instead of making assumptions. Then again, you're N!Channel, so I guess your attempts at faulty and biased journalism can be forgiven."

"We report the news, Mr. Flynn," the woman snapped. "And you better be careful with how you treat us, because we are recording this conference."

"Oh, I'm sure you are," David chuckled. "And I'm certain you would have a field day editing this meeting and making sure it portrays me as negatively as possible."

What David didn't tell her was that he was already mentally linking up with the network the N!Channel team was using to beam their footage back to their main production center and corrupting the feed. By the time they got a look at the footage from the conference, all they would get was a screen of static and white noise.

He then nodded to the BBC reporter. "Okay, you sir...go ahead and fire away."

"Mr. Flynn, it is obvious that you are employing novas in your company. How is that different than from what Utopia is doing? Don't you think your position and condemnation of them is hypocritical?"

"Damn...a good question," David said. "First off, we're nothing like Utopia...we aren't preaching some politically correct BS and claiming to make the world a better place. We're a private company and yes...I do employ novas. And yes, some of the novas here at SST, myself included, do come up with some interesting ideas and we do intend to share them with the world...for a price. And while SST does make money off what they come up with, the creators and designers of the products get a large share of the profit...after all, it's only fair that they should make money for their efforts."

"But Utopia has done things to make the world a better place...it could be argued that they operate out of a sense of altruism."

"Really? Altruism...maybe, but I find that hard to believe when the countries they've 'helped' have pretty much ceded their sovereign rights away and are willing to let Utopia dictate policy for them. Yeah, Utopia may have done some 'good', but don't think a price isn't being paid for their services."

The BBC reporter paused for a moment. It was apparent that he wanted to say something else, but hesitated.

"Hey, don't hold back on me, sir," David assured him. "You're a reporter, it's your job to ask the tough questions...go ahead and say it."

"Actually, it's more of an observation...and don't take this the wrong way, but that almost sounds like something the Teragen would say."

Some gasps of shock and disbelief could be heard from the crowd and David could sense the tension starting to build. He had to choose his next few words carefully, because he knew damn well that certain news agencies would take them out of context. He also knew some were expecting a hostile response from him.

_Well, they're going to be disappointed._

He smiled and pointed at the BBC reporter as he talked to the rest of the crowd. "See, now THAT takes balls...to actually state something that is on everyone else's mind when they don't have the courage to say it themselves." His comment, like the ones he made earlier, drew some laughter from the reporters, including the BBC reporter, and also cut some of the tension. "Yeah, I can see where some people might come to that conclusion, but look at it this way: When a baseline human comes up with a product and decides to market it, he has every right to try to sell it and make a profit off it, right? Well, we're no different here at SST. If one of our nova employees comes up with something and wants to market it, he should be allowed to sell it and make a profit, right? Unfortunately, Utopia seems intent on gathering such promising novas and making them do what Utopia wants to be done, and give the nova as little compensation as possible. Oh sure, by some standards, they still get paid a lot, but when you look at what Utopia has them do...it really isn't much. Besides, there are some hidden costs."

"Care to elaborate on that?" asked the reporter from MSNBC.

"Well, think about it," David said. "Take the terra-forming of the the Ethiopian highlands by Project Utopia, courtesy of Antaeus and a few other novas. Yes, they did a good thing, but in case you haven't noticed, they keep terra-forming the area for upkeep to prevent it from degrading back to its natural state. Some of you are familiar with 'taint' and what happens when a nova is pushed beyond their limits. I sometimes wonder if some of the 'fatalities' of various novas during the terra-forming were from being pushed too hard and if some of the other 'accidents' were to prevent them from talking about it."

He paused for a moment, letting that sink in before he continued.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where we differ from Utopia. We're not some big organization trying to tell the world what to do, we're a business and if we come up with something that might change the world for the better, you can bet that we'll try to make some sort of profit off it...after all, we're the ones taking the occasional risk and doing the work to make some of these 'miracles' possible."

"That sounds a little bit like greed, Mr. Flynn," said the N!Channel reporter.

"Not at all," David shot back at her. "It's called capitalism...and last time I checked, that was still allowed, despite efforts by Utopia and their allies."

* * *

**Ibiza, Spain**

**Private Suite, "The Amp Room" Nightclub**

Divis Mal paid little interest to the large screen television mounted on the wall, preferring instead to watch the other people in the room and their reactions as they watched David Flynn's press conference. He hadn't intended on calling a meeting of the Teragen's Inner Circle but, having observed the entire battle at Syndrome Software and Technologies, realized events had taken an unexpected turn he hadn't expected.

His original intention was to hire the nova known as Bomber to "attempt" to kidnap Zoe Kilmarten and leave evidence that Project Utopia was behind it. What he hadn't counted on was Firewing, a member of Team Tomorrow, actually showing up and then calling for a retrieval team to go after Kilmarten. He had expected the following confrontation to be a brutal one, resulting in Kilmarten's capture and possibly that of David Flynn and the novas that he had employed at his company. If that had happened, Teragen cells were awaiting orders to attack and liberate Flynn and his people. Instead, to Mal's surprise, Flynn's people fought back and managed to defeat the Utopia retrieval team. Then it got interesting when Flynn confronted Caestus Pax. Mal couldn't help but admire how the young man, despite being Pax's inferior, managed to embarrass and humiliate Pax in front of the media and there was nothing Team Tomorrow's front man could do about it.

_And now, today's press conference...I have truly underestimated you, David Flynn. If I didn't know any better, I could swear you took a page out of Raoul's book when dealing with the media._

He studied the tall dark skinned man who sat at the other end of the table, watching with a mixture of fascination and amusement as David Flynn answered questions and calmly ripped apart the N!Channel reporter whenever she tried to ask a question. Count Raoul Orzaiz, a Spanish native born to nobility, smiled as the young nova talked about how novas should be allowed to work and profit in the private industry and not for Utopia.

"Brilliant," Orzaiz said. "A little vulgar and inexperienced in some parts...but impressive nonetheless." He turned and looked at Mal. "I am surprised you haven't tried to actively recruit this young man, Divis. A nova with his intelligence and resources would be a valuable asset to us."

A redheaded young woman sitting off to the side of the table snorted derisively and shook her head.

"You disagree, Allison?" Orzaiz asked.

The redhead, Allison Hughes, though she preferred going by her 'Teragen' name, Shrapnel, didn't bother hiding her disgust. "He's jus' a 'poser," she said, her Irish accent coming through loud and clear. "He's simply playin' to th' media like yeh do. I doubt he'll actually back it up."

"I dunno'," said the large reptilian humanoid that sat opposite of Hughes and took up his entire side of the table. "He may be a 'pretty boy', but his crew did take on Utopia and win. The fact that he's going out of his way to bash Pax gives him some cred in my book."

Mal was surprised at that comment from Leviathan. Of the Teragen members attending this meeting, he was expecting Leviathan to be the most vocal against David Flynn. "You surprise me, Leviathan...I was expecting a more critical assessment from you."

Leviathan shrugged and grinned, his crocodile-like head revealing several nasty unnaturally (and very sharp) white teeth. "Hey, he may not be one of us...but he certainly ain't no poser."

"What makes yeh so certain?" Shrapnel asked, also surprised at Leviathan's reaction.

"Because, about a month ago, he tracked me down in New Orleans and wanted to talk to me...him, and that hyper-active psycho-chick of his with the neon hair."

Now Mal had not expected that revelation. "Really? And why hadn't you mentioned this us before."

"Because he really wasn't that well known a month ago and I dismissed him as a nut. However, the fact that he was willing to track me to my lair and talk to me in snake infested waters told me that he wasn't all talk." Leviathan smiled as he remembered that encounter. "Didn't even flinch when I tried that menacing 'monster going to eat you' routine."

"What did he want?" asked Jeremiah Scripture, who was sitting next to Shrapnel and off to Mal's right.

"Would you believe he offered me a job?"

"Yer bloody full o' shit," Shrapnel laughed. "Doin' what? Swimmin' in the sewer system?"

"Not that far off," the tone in Leviathan's voice was serious. "He wanted me for security and he even showed me the blueprints of the sewer system underneath that compound of his. I know why he chose that old school for his base of operations...it used to be part of a military base that operated there in during the second world war and in the fifties before they shut it down and turned it into a school. There's also a system of caverns underneath and waterways that lead out to the damn harbor and to other points in the city. Unfortunately, I turned him down, told him that I had a gig."

"How did he take it?"

"Not too badly. In fact, he paid me five grand in cash, thanked me for my time, and he and the neon chick left."

Mal returned his attention back to the television, a thoughtful look on his face as he watched David answer a couple more questions. "He would merely have you guarding the sewer system and caverns?" he asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question. "For some reason, I don't think that's all."

"You got that right, boss-man," said a new voice as the room's holo-projection system kicked on and the shimmering digital form of Synapse, the Teragen's resident hacker and electronic warfare specialist, flashed into existence, appearing in the middle of the table, the upper half of his body sticking out of it. He looked down and shook his head. "Crap...I really need to work on my entrance."

Leviathan shook his head and moved aside so the holo-projection could sit alongside him in a holographic chair that flashed into existence. "Dude, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Synapse shrugged and his red eyes glowed as he smiled...well, they assumed it was a smile since his holographic avatar was just a glowing green and black humanoid shape with red eyes and no other defining features. No surprise, really, since his real body was on life support somewhere at a hidden location while his mind was existing in the 'net. "Hey, someone's gotta' lighten the mood."

"What did you find out, Synapse?" Mal asked.

"Aside from a mess of high-tech security, Flynn's erected data encryption all through his network and has a closed server down in the lower sub-levels. I don't know what the hell he's got down there, but from the two minutes a day it links up to the main network, he's got firewalls in place that would take me at least an hour to crack."

"Oh no...the great Synapse can't break it?" chuckled Leviathan. "We're in trouble."

"Oh, I can break it...but it will take me at least an hour, maybe forty minutes after a few initial failures. No way I can do it in the two minutes when he does a server update."

"Any idea what he's downloading into the private server?" asked Scripture. "After all, you can access their main network and see what they're up to, correct?"

"Yeah, but again, you got firewalls...nowhere near as tough as the one on the private server, and trying to steal information is out of the question, because they would detect me." He then held up a hand to forestall a comment from Shrapnel. "However, I can sneak in and see what some of the stuff is they're working on. All I can say is that some of the stuff has a lot of commercial uses, but some of their stuff, like Flynn's projects, could very easily bring Utopia's Sci-Tech Division down on them if he tried to market it."

He waved his hand and a ball of light appeared above the table, expanding until it was a transparent globe about three feet in diameter and displaying various images and data files.

"One thing of interest though is that Davy boy is looking into MR-node development research and he hasn't been putting much security on those files. Really interesting stuff, he apparently hacked a Triton database and pulled up some files regarding Utopia's researching into 'neutralizing' or outright removing the MR node."

"WHAT!?" All heads turned towards Shrapnel as her hand slammed down against the table in anger. "Yer tellin' us tha' bastard is tryin' to find a way to shut down our powers? He's jus' like Utopia, tryin' to control us!"

"No." Mal's voice was uncharacteristically soft when he spoke. "You're wrong about the boy."

"You sure, boss-man?" Synapse tilted his head to one side. "Because some of the data he's got and the ideas he's working on look like he's tryin' to find a way to shut our powers down, even if most of this shit is theoretical."

Mal shook his head, giving them a sad smile. "It is a folly for a god to walk among mortals...but in the case of David Flynn, I can understand his dilemma."

"I'm sorry, Divis," said Orzaiz. "What was that?"

"Nothing," replied Mal. "Synapse...monitor this project and track Flynn's progress and keep me updated."

"Doesn't make sense," said Leviathan. "He seemed cool about novas...and he's one himself...why would he look into something like this?"

Scripture spoke up before Mal could answer. "Flynn has a condition, his MR-node is quite unique compared to other novas."

"How so?" Shrapnel asked, anger and curiosity in her voice...an unusual combination.

"That is not important at this time," Mal said, the finality in his voice making it clear that they were no longer going to talk about that particular subject. "The question now is this." He gestured back to the screen. "How should we deal with the current situation?"

* * *

For a moment, David regretted not taking Null's advice of installing water cannons to use on the reporters, particularly the ones with a pro-Utopia bias.

"I will say this again and for the final time," he said, making sure there was enough hint of a threat in his voice. "The Incredibles were not involved in this incident, and I would appreciate it if MSNBC and N!Channel would refrain from trying to provoke a confrontation."

"Well, you'll have to forgive our curiosity," said the MSNBC reporter. "After all, you are the son of a notorious super-villain and mass murderer. It makes sense that your father's enemies would want to monitor you."

David shook his head. "You just don't get it, I'm nothing like my father. And the fact that you and the N!Channel whore over there keep fixating on that tells me that you really aren't here as reporters, but as smear merchants." He smiled at the gasps of shock and outrage his comment caused, but he also heard some snickering from others. "Oh...and, for the record, you can print that comment and I am willing to stand behind it one hundred percent. My father was a sociopath suffering from delusions of superiority and other personal issues."

"And you think you're better than that?"

"No," David laughed. "I suffer from a completely different set of personal issues and I'm not a sociopath." He paused for a moment, a worried expression on his face. "Though I do have this fear of inheriting a bad case of 80s hair."

* * *

**Cell 342**

**The Neptune Facility**

**Utopia Maximum Security Prison**

**Somewhere off the coast of Africa**

Buddy Pine ignored the lap-top computer that was on his bed, preferring to focus on his push-ups as he listened to his "son" talk. Ever since Lansing approached him over a month ago, allowing him certain "privileges" (like a lap-top,access to basic tools, and participating with an inmate work crew), he wasted no time plotting his escape. Since joining the "work detail" (which included janitorial work and basic maintenance), Buddy was able to map out the entire facility. During his time in the "workshop", he was able to acquire small parts and components to build the equipment he would need. The next couple weeks consisted of him doing "redundant systems repair" in the bowels of the complex, allowing him to place tiny little devices in key conduit areas.

Yes, his escape plans were coming together...only a few more details needed to be worked out and then the world would burn and he would revel in every minute of it.

"_My father was a sociopath suffering from delusions of superiority and other personal issues."_

Buddy stopped his current set of fifty repetitions and looked up at the lap-top.

"_And you think you're better than that?"_

"_No...I suffer from a completely different set of personal issues and I'm not a sociopath...though I do have this fear of inheriting a bad case of 80s hair."_

Buddy managed to stifle a snarl and resisted the urge to grab the lap-top and throw it against the wall. After all, it was the only one available and it had been a valuable tool in helping him engineer his escape. However, that realization did little to suppress the rage he felt at watching that little glorified meat puppet walk around on stage and captivate the world media, mocking him with each sentence.

It should be him, dammit. He should be the one out there, talking to the public. He should be the one getting the world's attention. He should be the one promoting HIS company.

_Instead, my little test-tube project is walking around, living MY life_

Buddy managed to calm himself, closing his eyes and focusing his on his breathing, slowly clenching and unclench his fists until he could feel the tension draining away...well, at least in his left hand, his right hand and arm were cybernetic prosthetics and were rather crude compared to what he would design. Then again, he WAS a prisoner here and they made damn sure, until recently, that he limited access to technology. When Lansing arrived and authorized Pine to have more "privileges", the warden and prison guards were worried that Buddy would modify his cybernetic arm, convert it into a weapon, and use it to break out of prison.

_As if I were that predictable._

Buddy felt insulted by that. Oh sure, when Lansing approached him with that deal and gave him the lap-top, he was plotting an escape, but he would do nothing so crude and pathetic as trying to turn his cybernetic arm into plasma cannon and shoot his way out of the facility. Neptune was too secured and he would be out-gunned by the guards. No...he would never consider something like that, especially if it was basically suicide.

_Besides, when I get out of here, it's going to be felt._

He got and sat down on the bed, closing the media-player window on the lap-top and opening up an application that showed a 3D schematic of the Neptune facility and the surrounding geographic area of the ocean floor around the prison's foundation. Next to the laptop was beat-up paperback novel that had been read many times before Buddy checked it out of the prison library, but he figured he read it more times than all the other previous readers combined. He allowed himself a chuckle as he picked up the copy of Clive Cussler's _Polar Shift. _

If someone had told him a year ago that he would be carrying out an escape plan based on the plot out of some action-thriller novel, Buddy would have stabbed them in the middle of the chow-line. However, he did like like those "NUMA Files" books and Cussler did have quite the imagination.

A tap on on the lap-top's touch-pad brought up the schematic of the devices he had installed through the station and his grin got even bigger.

_Oh yeah...this is going to be good._

* * *

"You could have handled that better," Null said as he and David walked through the front lobby of the main SST building.

"I know," David replied, not even bothering to hide the relief in his voice. "But it had to be done. After last night, Utopia's been reeling from this little scandal and it's better to act first and get our shots in before they can cover this up."

"Yeah, but baiting the N!Channel reporter like that...that's just asking for trouble."

"Look, there was no way that lady, or any of the pro-Utopia reporters out there were going to be fair and unbiased," David said. "We were in trouble the moment we started this business."

"True, but you can bet that your antics with the N!Channel are going to make them want to come after you even more, especially since you corrupted their satellite feed." Null gave his boss a knowing grin. "Yeah, I know about that."

David stared at his friend for a moment. "Okay, refresh my memory, why did you turn down the VP slot?"

"Because, unlike you, I realize I'm still too young to know about the dark world we live in, and I refuse to throw away my youth and become mired in the darkness like my employer?"

"Ouch, that was...blunt," David said. "Then tell me, how should I have handled the situation with the media today?"

Null pretended to think about it for a second, a mock-serious expression on his face as he nodded before replying. "Wolves," he said. "Unleash a pack of wolves on them."

"Bloody and efficient," David chuckled. "But I don't think that would play well with the rest of the world. Besides, I don't know where I can buy a pack of wolves."

"Actually, I do know someone who can help with that."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

They took the stairs to the second floor and stopped outside David's office. David was about to open the door when Null stopped him.

"You want me to go in with you?" Null asked. "Because you know he's pissed off."

David stared at the door for a moment, knowing full well who was behind it. He sighed and shook his head. "No," he said. "This is something I have to do on my own."

Null patted him on a shoulder. "I'll be sure to notify your next of kin," he said before walking away, whistling the Imperial Death March from the Star Wars movies.

"Not helping," David called after him. He then returned his attention to the door in front of him and took a deep breath. "Well, it's now or never."

He opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. Standing about ten feet away from the door was a nearly seven foot tall monster of a man and angry father.

"Hello, Mr. Par-urk!" David never got a chance to finish his sentence as the enraged man stepped forward, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and hoisted him up in the air.

"I thought we had an agreement," Bob Parr said. What struck David odd was how calm Mr. Parr sounded even though it was obvious that he was pissed off. "I was under the impression that you would leave us alone."

"Um..actually," David managed to stammer. "I agreed to a truce, a cessation of hostilities...and...you...are...choking me."

Bob released his grip, dropping David to the ground.

David, to his credit, managed to stay on his feet and regain his composure. "You know, you have the strangest way of saying 'Thank You', you know that?"

"Thank You?" Bob repeated, the worlds coming out more like a dangerous growl than a question. "For what, dragging my family into this?"

"First off, I didn't drag your family into this. Hell, I wasn't even expecting them to show up."

"You expect me to believe that?" Bob asked. "Especially after you approached my daughter and offered her a job without even asking me?"

"Ask you for what, your consent?" David shot back. "I was offering her a job, not a marriage proposal. And last time I checked, your daughter was a grown woman and capable of making her own decisions."

"Don't even dare to go there, boy."

"Why not? You're already making assumptions about me, I might as well be allowed to make assumptions about you." David met Bob's angry glare with one of his own. "Yes, I talked to your daughter, I offered her a job, she told me that she would think about it, end of story. I didn't think your youngest would drag her over her-urk!"

Bob's right hand suddenly gripped around David's throat. "Don't even think of bringing Jack into this," he warned as he started to lift the young man off the ground again.

"Dad? What are you doing?"

Bob turned to see Violet and Jack standing in the doorway, his hand still closed around David's throat. "Vi, honey...what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home while I took care of this."

"First off," Violet said as she entered the office. "I don't live at home anymore, remember? Second, it seems to me that your idea of 'taking care' of this is beating him to a bloody pulp, and I'm not even dating him."

"Yeah," David managed to choke out. "I...have...standards."

Bob's grip tightened.

"Um, Dad?"

"Yeah, Jack."

"Is his face supposed to turn blue like that?"

"Oh, yeah...oops." Bob said as he dropped David to the floor again. "Sorry."

David staggered back up to his feet. "No...you're not," he managed to say before he fell into the seat behind his desk.

"What are you two doing here?" Bob asked, momentarily ignoring David who seemed content to just sit back in his chair and massage his throat.

"I wanted to explain what happened," Violet replied.

"And I just wanted to see you beat the crap out of someone," Jack laughed.

"There's nothing to explain," Bob said, ignoring his youngest son's comment. "Flynn got you sucked into this and I'm going to get you out of it."

Jack hesitantly put his hand up. "Um, Dad?"

"What is it, son?"

"I really don't want to say this, because I know it'll get me grounded, but...he didn't do anything. It was my idea to come here."

That admission suddenly froze the room and, for a moment, David could have sworn the temperature dropped at least ten degrees.

"What did you say?" Bob finally said.

"I'm the reason Violet and I got in this mess," Jack said, blinking back tears. "I didn't mean for this to happen. You, Mom, and Dash were arguing, I went to go look for Violet, and I wanted to see why they had turned their parking lot into an ice-skating rink." This time, he didn't hold back the tears. "It's all my fault!"

"Jack...it's okay." Bob knelt down and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "You made a mistake and, you're right, you are grounded, but we'll talk about it later, okay?"

While David was amazed at how quickly Bob Parr went from enraged monster to caring and protective parent, he was more impressed by the performance by one Jack Parr.

_Damn, this kid is good!_

He realized Jack's performance was a sham, mostly because Jack didn't seem like the crying type...and the fact that he possessed the godlike ability to toss novas into low orbit made David believe that Jack had more of a backbone than most nine-year-olds. Also, the semi-disgusted look of disbelief on Violet's face was a dead giveaway that she had seen this tactic used before. But David decided to keep his mouth shut.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Violet finally spoke up. "Look, Dad...I'll take Jack home, but I'm going to take the job."

"What?" Bob couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you insane?"

"Do we really need to be having a discussion about sanity right now?" asked David. The cold looks he got from both father and daughter made him lean further back in his chair. "Okay, shutting up now."

"Go home, Violet," Bob said. "We'll talk about this when I'm through here."

Reluctantly, Violet nodded. "Take us home, Jack."

Strangely enough, Jack's tears were gone. "Aw, c'mon...can't we just-"

"Now. Jack."

"Alright, alright...jeez," muttered Jack before he and his sister disappeared in a flash of white light, leaving Mr. Parr alone with David.

"Give me one good reason," Bob said as he turned to face David again, "one good reason I shouldn't throw you out that window."

For a moment, David was tempted to come back with a smart-ass answer, but thought better of it when he realized that there was a good chance that Bob probably would throw him out the window of his office. Instead, he mentally linked with his building's network, switched on the speakers in his office, and accessed an audio file from his computer."

"_Gravity...can you hear me?"_

"_That fucking hurt, dammit..."_

"_Sheryl, snap out of it. McInerny is down, and it looks like McKeen's dealing with Violet Parr and that rocky freak-show. Here's what I want you to do. Both Violet Parr and Jack Parr have interfered in a Project Utopia operation. You are to detain them, particularly the boy."_

"_How far are we authorized to go?"_

"_As long as you don't kill them, do whatever it takes."_

"_Sweet..."_

"What the hell was that?" Bob asked.

"Oh, nothing important," David replied. "Just an intercepted transmission from from T2M's Americas headquarters in Mexico City." There was no trace of sarcasm in his voice this time. "Oh, it gets better, check out the screen on the wall."

Bob turned around to look at the large plasma screen on the wall as it flashed to life, showing a video clip of the previous night's battle that was not released to the media. This clip showed the nova known as Gravity suddenly grabbing Jack while Firewing fought Violet.

"_We got new orders, Kari. Take them all in, even the Parr bastards."_

The footage suddenly paused and Bob found himself mentally recoiling at what he just heard and saw...a supposed group of 'heroes' treating members of his family like they were the enemy.

"They know who you are, Mr. Parr," David said as he got up out of his chair. "They always knew...I'm willing to bet they knew the moment Kari McKeen joined up with them and they restored her memory." He walked around his desk, stopping only a few feet away from Bob. "Although, I will level with you, Mr. Parr. You're right about me, I do have an agenda of my own, but believe me when I say that it doesn't include anything so petty as a 'vendetta' with you and your family." He pulled a tiny flash-drive out of his pocket and held it in front of Bob. "You don't believe me, take this home and go through it. Just make sure your computer isn't linked to the net when you access it because it won't work."

"What is it?" Bob cautiously took the tiny drive from David's hand. Though his instinct to beat the punk to a pulp was still there, his curiosity and the serious tone in the young man's voice stopped him.

"Oh...just a few things, full video footage of what happened last night, some intercepted audio transmissions from T2M headquarters, and various other goodies that will prevent you from sleeping at night." Again, David Flynn's voice had taken a grim and serious tone as he started to make his way towards the door. When he opened the door, he looked back over his shoulder. "If you don't believe me or the stuff on that drive, call up your buddy Dicker."

"What do you mean by that?"

David leaned against the door frame of his office, looking down at the ground for a couple seconds before responding. "That the 'good old days' of heroes and villains are gone, Mr. Parr," he finally said. "Everything that you believed in and fought for doesn't matter anymore...because in the end, we're all just pawns to those with real power and the desire to use and abuse it." He looked back at Bob and gave him a sad smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pay someone a visit in the hospital. I know you were looking forward to beating the shit out of me and tossing me across the city, but I'm just not in the mood. But if you call up and make an appointment, we can continue from where we left off...the door will lock automatically when you leave."

Bob just stood there and watched as David left and the door closed behind him. He stared at the door for a few more seconds then returned his attention the flash drive in his hand. Part of him wanted to not believe a word David had told him and simply wish that this was just some elaborate 'revenge scheme', but there was something in David's voice that gave him pause.

"_That the 'good old days' of heroes and villains are gone, Mr. Parr. Everything that you believed in and fought for doesn't matter anymore...because in the end, we're all just pawns to those with real power and the desire to use and abuse it."_

For some reason, those words chilled him to the bone and he couldn't figure out why.

* * *

_**Metroville General Hospital**_

_**Metroville, California**_

The first thing Kari McKeen was aware of when she opened her eyes was the faint beeping of the machine she was hooked up to in her dimly lit hospital room. She managed to suppress a soft groan as the numbness of her jaw reminded her that it was sewn shut. She had faded in and out of consciousness over the last several hours. She heard something about Sheryl "Gravity" Tyler being taken back to T2M central for extensive surgery and having her legs re-broken. But those moments of consciousness were interrupted by long periods of comforting darkness...until now.

She blinked her eyes, trying to bring them into focus, but her vision was still blurred.

"Damn," she heard someone say. "It must suck being linked to all those IV drips. That one tube with the green fluid...I'm guessing that's the moxinoquantimine they need to neutralize your powers and I'm sure derivatives of it are also mixed in with the sedatives and pain-killers they got going through your body so it can heal."

She squinted her eyes and made out a shape standing at the foot of her bed, but she couldn't make out who they were. The shape moved along the side of her bed and she tried to move, but was too weak. She tried to call out, but all that came was a soft moan. A hand gently brushed her right arm, the fingers trailing along the IV tubes.

"Shit, Violet really did a number on you." The man knelt down and she finally saw who was...David Flynn. "Right now, I bet you're really pissed off at her."

_Damn right I'm pissed!_

Kari wanted to scream it, but, again, all she was able to do was mumble and moan.

David shook his head and chuckled at her. "Don't bother trying to call for help or hitting the call button, I've got the system blocked off." He tilted his head to one side, studying the angry look in her eyes. "Damn...if you could only talk right now, but that's okay, your eyes are doing a good job of screaming bloody murder. Right now, you're probably thinking of paying back Violet for what she did to you." He leaned in closer so she could get a better look at him. "In fact, I bet, right now...you're probably thinking of taking your anger out on all the Parrs...and what better way to do that than by outing them? After all...you had no problem outing Zoe, and she was a complete stranger to you."

He paused as he looked at the heart monitor and noticed that Kari's heart rate started to pick up a little. He grinned at her. "I'm right, aren't I? You're so pissed off that you would do anything to get revenge, right? Well...I'm going to help you."

Now Kari was confused. David Flynn was going to help her? How?

"So how am I going to help you?" continued Flynn. "It's very simple. After we have this conversation, I promise that you will longer be concerned with the Parrs." His voice suddenly became cold. "Because I'm going to be on the top of your list."

Kari's eyes widened in terror as she saw him reach over and examine some of the knobs that adjusted the flow of the medication, particularly the moxiquantimine.

"Relax," he said. "I'm not going to do anything so mundane as to mess with your meds. That wouldn't be cool at all. However, I am pissed off...you went after my girl. I know that your masters have it in for me, but going after Zoe...big mistake. You outed her, and like a good little drone, reported to your superiors, and then spear-headed an attack on MY property and attacked MY people. That was an even bigger mistake."

David stood back up, but remained at her bedside.

"But I just couldn't figure out how to keep you contained. I figure once your condition improves and they unwire your jaw, you're going to say a whole a bunch of stuff...you might even out the Parrs and try to inflame public opinion against me and my crew. And I just can't let that happen...but then it hit me." David snapped his fingers as if the idea had come to him. "It occurred to me that you, as a 'hero'...yes, please note the air-quotes around the word...as a 'hero', you pissed off a lot of people...people who would love to get some payback on you."

A cruel smile formed on David's lip. "So here's the deal, McKeen. When you get out, you're going to keep your mouth shut about the Parrs and you're going to keep your distance away from MY people. Because if you don't, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every friend, family member, or loved one of yours is going to become readily available to anyone who has enough intelligence to use a net search engine and type 'Firewing'."

It took a couple seconds for that threat to sink in, but when Kari realized what David was saying, the horror in her eyes said all.

"Ah, I see that it's finally registered," David said. "I really don't want to go that route, McKeen, but let's face it...unless you're presented with dire consequences, you just can't keep your mouth shut. I know that's kind of harsh, but that's the truth. It's your choice, 'hero', your big mouth versus your family's safety."

He then walked away, leaving her lying there in the bed, a cold sweat running down her forehead. She barely heard the door open and close, because she was to busy moaning softly as she tried to scream.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: And of Things to Come**

* * *

Disclaimer: Incredibles...owned by Pixar and Brad Bird. Aberrant...owned by White Wolf (if only I could buy the rights...)

Author Notes: Okay...this was supposed to be the last chapter...but it's not. You can blame it on David and Violet...they took up too much screen time. It's all their fault, so Buddy and his time got pre-empted. However, Buddy does make an appearance. On another note, I'm not sure if I'm happy with this chapter, and I may change it. As some of you know, I'm dropping hints and foreshadowing for the upcoming "War of Angels" storyline.

As usual, comments and feedback are welcome.

* * *

_**From the Associated Press**_

_**Dime Box, Texas **— Houston-sponsored nova Graham "Houston Tornado" Herron was found shot repeatedly with heavy-gauge shotguns and high-powered hunting rifles, then stabbed and beaten Monday night just after nine p.m._

_Dime Box Sheriff Tom Boddard found the body, which was reported to have been marked with various symbols associated with the Church of Michael Archangel. Powder burns marked the weapons as having been discharged at close range._

"_There must have been a lot of the Michaelites to take one of these boys down," stated Sheriff Boddard. "We haven't heard of any of their compounds around here, but maybe they came from Austin or Nacogdoches. We rarely see any of that group around here, let alone novas."_

_A spokesman for the Church of Michael Archangel's Austin compound, Grand Deacon Micah Piper, had much to say on the subject. "We don't like aberrants. I'm not saying we did what happened to Herron or whoever he was, but he obviously met his match in God's chosen." _

_Other members of the Michaelite church shared the sentiment via OpNet and Internet, issuing letters of support to the Austin branch._

_According to Disciple Stephen Leeds of Montana, "Aberrants don't belong among normal people"; in the words of Virginia Michaelite Suzanne Haslett, "Why should we weep for the passing of the Devil's own?"_

_Seven-year-old Lucy Corgan issued perhaps the most telling remark: "My papa has a gun that will drop an aberrant dead in his tracks, and so do all his friends."_

_The weeks to come may be tense, as Graham Herron's DeVries-represented companions Linda Raphael and Elijah Crane have returned to Houston to "rally some novas interested in justice." Grand Deacon Piper claims not to be scared, boldly responding, "The righteous God is with us, you spawn of Satan. We've got enough guns and faith to lay you out just like what happened to your friend."_

* * *

_**Metroville, California**_

_**October 9, 2006**_

_**1100 Hrs. **_

David wasn't sure what was more aggravating...being summoned to a meeting with the mayor of Metroville or suffering the embarrassment of being driven to City Hall in a dark purple 2002 model Volkswagen Beetle owned by Violet Parr.

"Um, Violet?" he said as he thought of something.

"Yeah?"

"I pay you a decent salary as my VP, right?"

"Well, supposedly," Violet said, sounding annoyingly cheerful. "I have yet to get my first REAL paycheck from you."

"But I gave you a nice advance, right?"

"That you did."

"Now...tell me again why you didn't use it to buy yourself a decent car?"

"What's wrong with my car?" Violet's voice had a sharp tone, but the hint of a smile still tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Um...nothing," replied David. "It's just...um...so...purple." He grimaced as he looked around the inside of the car. "And it's a...Beetle."

"Nothing wrong with that," Violet said. "German engineering, a reliable design that's made it through several decades, and it's fuel efficient."

"But it's a Beetle!"

"This coming from a guy who was driving a BMW Mini Cooper? You shouldn't be one to talk." That annoyingly cheerful tone was back. "And for the record, you're my boss and you make way more money than I do. How come you're not taking your own car?"

"Wow, that's a good question. Let me think...what did happen to my car? Oh yeah, I remember, I slammed it into some Utopia thug to save someone's ass...oh...wait...that someone was you, wasn't it?"

"You're going to hold that over my head for a long time, aren't you?" Violet accused.

David grinned at her. "Only for awhile...I figure at least a couple years."

"You know, I don't have to do this. I'm sacrificing very valuable class time to act as your chauffeur which, by the way, was not in the job description."

"Yeah, well, neither is 'Dress the Boss for success'," grumbled David.

"David, you're attending a meeting with the mayor. I'm sorry, but jeans, a simple shirt, and a jacket won't cut it."

"And you think that justifies you dragging me to Men's Wearhouse and making me buy a fancy suit?"

"Oh, quit being a baby!" Violet snapped.

"Okay, and what makes you think you can get away with this?"

"The fact that some mega-genius loser walked up to my coffee stand and offered me the job?"

"Ouch...wait...I am not a loser!"

"Okay, not a loser, but you whine a lot about the most trivial things."

"I do not! And this tie is killing me!"

"I rest my case."

"You're making me wear a tie! A real one!"

"It's called making a good impression." Violet shook her head, failing miserably at stifling a giggle. "And that clip-on you had was very tacky."

"Can we please forget about the clip-on?"

"Of course." Violet gave David an evil grin of her own. "I figure I'll forget...in a couple years."

Violet kept laughing as David continued to grumble. But what surprised her about the situation was how real the laughter was. Even though she had only been with SST for a couple weeks, she actually felt something click. For some reason, she felt like she fit right in with the motley crew of misfits David had hired...with one exception. She had the feeling that Zoe Kilmarten didn't like her, but that really didn't seem that important since Zoe had left to visit her family over a week ago and hadn't been heard from since.

Then there was David Pine Flynn himself...despite the her own misgivings, suspicions from her family, and the fact that he was the biological son of her family's greatest enemy, she actually found herself liking the guy. He was sharp-witted, funny, and...dammit...likable. What really got her though was that she could still see similarities between David and his father. She could see Buddy Pine's smirk from time to time, but David didn't have that malevolent look in his eyes. However, she did learn that David had a ruthless streak of his own.

Though she never mentioned it to anyone, she had followed David to the hospital a couple weeks earlier when he went to visit Kari McKeen. While David definitely was no Buddy Pine, Violet couldn't help but shudder at how easily the young man went from funny and likable to just being downright cold and scary.

"_**So here's the deal, McKeen. When you get out, you're going to keep your mouth shut about the Parrs and you're going to keep your distance away from MY people. Because if you don't, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every friend, family member, or loved one of yours is going to become readily available to anyone who has enough intelligence to use a net search engine and type 'Firewing'."**_

_Not like his father, but no less dangerous,_ Violet thought to herself as she stopped at an intersection. _Much more subtle, calm, cool, and collected._

"I don't wanna' do this!" groaned her subtle, calm, cool, and collected passenger as he pulled at his tie. "I can't believe you made me wear a real tie."

_Then again, I don't think Buddy was this much of a whiner about clothing._

Then the false whining disappeared as their conversation took on a more serious tone when they approached City Hall. "Seriously, Vi, I really don't like this. The mayor showed no interest in us, even after the battle at our headquarters. And now, two weeks later, he calls me in. Something smells rotten."

That was the other thing that Violet found unsettling...David's ability to suddenly shift gears from funny and sarcastic to being serious.

"Of course it smells rotten," Violet said. "You're dealing with a politician, not a human being."

"Yeah," David chuckled. "You're right, but I think I'll manage."

"David, be careful with this one. Mayor Sansweet isn't your normal politician. He's as slimy as they come."

"Yeah, I know...I did my homework." David tapped a finger against the side of his head for emphasis. "I only scanned through some files on him very briefly and I already feel dirty."

"I'm serious David, this guy screwed over a lot of people, especially my family. And there are some people in our community who have a dislike for him."

"Yeah," David said as he mentally called up a file on Oliver Sansweet. "Though with all the mass eruptions of novas over the last couple years, it's interesting that he was quick to support Project Utopia."

"You're not listening to me, David. This is a man who will take any opportunity to screw over someone if he can benefit from it. You don't want to make him an enemy."

As they pulled up to the curb, David smiled at her. "Relax, Vi...I promise to behave."

"Whatever...just don't do anything that gets us on six o'clock news, okay?"

David opened the car door and got out, bending down to look in the car. "Like I said, relax. It's just a meeting with the mayor. Just stick around long enough to pick me up...I have a feeling it won't be that long." He then closed the door and patted the top of the car before turning to head up the steps of City Hall.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Violet muttered as she pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Brian Paladino took a sip from a bottle of water as he watched David make his way up the steps of Metroville City Hall. He clipped the bottle back in the holder on his mountain bike and leaned on his handlebars, watching as Violet Parr drove off in her car.

_I can't believe it...she's actually working for the bastard._

Brian and his sister had been tracking David for the last month since he had first surfaced, claiming to be the "son of Syndrome". Brian still couldn't believe Buddy Pine had actually managed to have a kid...and now that kid was starting to follow in his old man's footsteps. Oh sure, the world saw a young man with sense of humor and a sharp wit, but Brian could see the monster in the man's eyes...the same monster that murdered Brian and Lydia's father eight years ago.

He almost felt a sense a betrayal when he learned about Violet taking the job at SST. The Parrs had always been friends of the family and he still talked to Dash now and then. In fact it was Dash who had called him a couple weeks ago after the battle between a Project Utopia team and employees at SST. He was shocked to learn that not only was Violet involved in the fight, but she also agreed to work for David Pine. Since then, he and Dash met a couple days a week...Brian under the guise of an understanding friend willing to listen and give some advice.

_Easiest way to get intel. _

He felt a little guilty about using a friend like that, but that's how it was sometimes done. Dash, though it was limited, had access to David Flynn's schedule. It was from Dash that Brian learned about the meeting with the mayor. He looked up at the top of the building where the mayor's office was located.

_I wonder what kind of deals with the devil are being made up there._

* * *

David never understood the appeal of having an office in a high-rise building. He just couldn't understand why the mayor of Metroville needed to have his office on the top floor of a fifteen story building. While it could be argued that the mayor, as the elected leader of this city, had every right to be able to look down upon the city he governed, David couldn't help wondering if people with that kind of power truly cared about the people that voted for them or just enjoyed the fact they could look down on their "lowly subjects" that were dumb enough to vote them into office.

The building was still new, having only been completed last year. David had actually looked through the city records and thought it interesting that the expenses for this building exceeded the budget by about seventy percent. In order to pay for the construction, the mayor decided it was wise to shut down one school and postpone renovation of another in order to pay for his new building. David rolled his eyes as the elevator doors opened, revealing a very spacious outer office that enjoyed a 180 degree view of the city. He had no doubt the mayor's office took up the other half of the floor.

_Egotistical bastard,_ David thought to himself. _Let's hope he doesn't try to hide behind some smarmy facade...I'd probably throw up on the floor._

He stepped out of the elevator, ignoring the arrogant sneer of the blond haired receptionist behind the desk...a young woman who appeared to be maybe a few years older than David. Her attitude and body language said it all: I work for the mayor, I'm important, and you have to go through me to see him.

"The Mayor is expecting you, Mr. Flynn."

David nodded at her and smiled as he walked by her desk, pausing for a moment outside the door of the mayor's office. "Abandon all hope ye who enter here," he chuckled.

"What was that, Mr. Flynn?"

"Oh...nothing." David was still smiling as he entered the mayor's office, but the smile faded completely when he heard the door close behind him. Gone was the smart-ass facade he had worn when he entered the building. "Mayor Sansweet," he said, nodding at the heavyset man behind the desk. He then turned to acknowledge the presence of Caestus Pax who was standing next to the mayor. "And hello to you, Pax...did the toy companies finally give your action figure the 'kung-fu action grip' you keep requesting for yourself?"

Pax simply stood there and glared at him.

"Oh c'mon, Pax," David said. "You yourself wanted the action figures to resemble the real thing as much as possible, right? Besides, your grip must have improved in the last couple weeks...I'm sure your hands have had plenty of action since McKeen still has her jaw wired shut."

Before Pax could respond, Mayor Sansweet spoke up. "Mr. Flynn, I did not invite you here to trade insults with Caestus Pax."

David focused his attention on the gray-haired man sitting behind the desk. "No," he said. "You didn't invite me here. You summoned me, I came, and this is where you make some veiled threats and talk about how there might be an 'incident' if I do something to upset your fair city. And Pax is here to simply reinforce the point...so let's just cut through the bullshit and get this over with, shall we?"

For a moment, Sansweet said nothing, his face void of any expression as he coldly studied the young man standing in front of him. Then, slowly, he began to chuckle for a few seconds before breaking into full laughter. However, the cold look in his eyes did not fade. "I can see why you despise this man, Pax. He has a spine. He's facing off against two of the most powerful people in this city and will not back down...I like that." He gestured to a seat in front of his desk. "Have a seat, Flynn."

"No thanks, I'll stand. I have a feeling I won't be here long."

"Suit yourself, kid," the mayor said. He pulled a cigar out of his coat, bit off the end, and lit it. He took a couple puffs on it and then looked back at David. "Fine, we'll get right to it. Two weeks ago, there was a minor misunderstanding between your people and members of Project Utopia."

"A misunderstanding," David repeated. "So that's what they're calling it."

"This unfortunate event," continued Sansweet, ignoring David's comment, "caused some trouble for us, but we were able to contain things before they got out of hand."

"Oh, I'm sorry," David said. "I was under the impression things had gotten out of hand. A Team Tomorrow operative spearheaded an attempt to kidnap a friend of mine and stormed my property with a Utopia assault team."

"It was a misunderstanding," Sansweet said again. "However, it does not change the fact that you are employing novas who are not registered with Utopia."

"And as I pointed out in the eight interviews I've given over the last two weeks, registration with Utopia is not required and all of my employees are registered with the NSA," David replied. "But that's not what this is about, is it?"

"No," Pax rumbled.

"Would you care to enlighten me then?" David glanced at his watch. "Because if all you're going to do is just grumble monosyllabic words in my direction, then we really don't have anything to discuss. I have other places to be and very little time."

Sansweet leaned back in his chair and grinned at David. "Actually, Mr. Flynn, I called you here as a courtesy to let you know about Caestus Pax's proposal."

"What proposal?" David narrowed his eyes in suspicion, especially as Pax took a step forward.

"As you may have heard over the news in the last week, Jonathan Lansing was removed as Director of International Operations for Project Utopia," Pax said. Then he gave David a smug grin. "Until we appoint a replacement, it was decided that the duties of that post would be handed over to the General Director of Operations for Team Tomorrow...in other words, Mr. Flynn, I make the rules now."

"Wow, don't let that power go to your head," David deadpanned. "Oh...too late."

"Careful, boy, you have no idea how close you are." Pax glared at David for a moment longer before he continued talking. "Because of the incident and the fact that a large number of unregistered novas have surfaced in such a concentrated area. Team Tomorrow has been authorized by the mayor's office to establish a satellite branch of T2M America."

_Son of a bitch, _David thought, _way sooner than I expected._ He managed to keep his face neutral, only an arched eyebrow betraying any emotion. "I see," he said.

More awkward silence filled the room as the two men stared at David, confirming his suspicion that they were expecting an outburst from him.

"You're taking this rather well," Sansweet said.

"How were you expecting me to take it?" asked David. "Throw a tantrum and give Pax here a reason to detain me for causing an 'incident'?" He shook his head. "Nice try, Mr. Mayor, but it takes a little bit more than that to provoke a hostile action from me." He nodded his head in Pax's direction. "If you really want to make this personal, take a page out of their book and target people I care about...then it'll get ugly."

"Is that threat, Mr. Flynn?"

"No, Mr. Mayor, merely a promise." David grinned, knowing that it would annoy both men. "Already, Utopia is scrambling for ways to protect its credibility after...to borrow your terminology...the 'misunderstanding'. I also trust that the NSA will be informed of this team's existence and their activity?"

The smile on the mayor's face faded and Caestus Pax visibly bristled at the mention of the National Supers Agency.

"I thought not," David chuckled. "But that's okay, I'll be sure to mention that to the NSA Director when I talk to him next...oh, that's right." He snapped his fingers as if he remembered something. "I guess I should mention to you that the NSA is also increasing their surveillance in the area." He smiled at them again. "Apparently, there was recently an...'unfortunate event'...that involved a bunch of NSA registered novas and an agency that shall remain unmentioned at this time. The Director of the NSA decided that they will be monitoring the area to prevent such an _accident _from happening again."

This time, the mayor's businesslike demeanor shattered as he jumped out of his chair. "What? They can't do that!"

"What the hell are you playing at?" Pax growled.

"Me?" David gave them both a look of feigned innocence. "I'm 'playing' at nothing. Metroville is an American city and after the '_misunderstanding_', they have every right to place their watchdogs in and around the area. And while I may not care much for the creepy old guy and his agency, they do have legal jurisdiction and every right to do so. Believe me, it pisses me off too, but at least it's not like having a city official handing the duties of law enforcement to an UN sponsored agency without consulting the government first."

"Now see here," snapped Sansweet. "That is not what happened!"

"Oh, I'm sure it isn't," David said. "From what I know of you, Mr. Mayor, you're an opportunist. Money was probably involved...I'm guessing it has something to do with that one account you have Geneva."

The look on Oliver Sansweet's face was priceless. His face paled slightly as he slowly sat back down in his chair. "Tha-that was a legal transaction," he managed to stammer. "And any financial dealings with Utopia were cooperative ventures to improve city infrastructure."

"Of course they were," David said. "Just like your lawsuit twenty-four years ago that resulted in a ban on supers for fifteen years. Suing a superhero for interrupting your suicide and opening a floodgate of lawsuits...sure, you made money, even destroyed some lives in process." He stepped forward and leaned on the mayor's desk. "I'm sure that lawsuit helped you out...probably even made up for the money you embezzled from your investors which was the real reason you were trying to kill yourself to begin with."

"You bastard!" snarled Sansweet as he lunged out of his chair at David who merely took a step back and watched as the mayor fell across his desk. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

"At last," David said. "You finally dropped the facade, Mr. Mayor. Now we can talk business."

"You have some nerve, coming in here like you own the place." Sansweet got back on his feet and continued to glare at David. "This is my city. I make the rules."

David turned to look at Pax who, surprisingly, looked stunned at Sansweet's reaction. "And I take it that Project Utopia stands behind Mayor Sansweet's decisions?"

Again, David was certain that if Pax had heat-vision of any kind and a lack of control, he would have been flash-fried by now. But he saw something else on Pax's face. The obvious anger and hatred were there, but now there was a hint of uncertainty before the nova answered him.

"We were invited on the Mayor's behalf to establish a satellite team in this city," Pax replied. "We are here only in an 'advisory' capacity and authorized to act only during an emergency."

"And let me guess," David said, "the mayor will decide what is considered an emergency."

"You better believe it, boy." Sansweet seemed to regain his composure with Pax's verbal backing, though he apparently ignored the hesitant tone in Pax's voice. "After all, accidents do happen...especially in your neighborhood."

"Why, Mayor Sansweet, was that a threat?" David asked.

"No...merely a promise," replied Sansweet, smiling at the fact that he used David's own words against him.

David shook his head and laughed. "It's a sign of a poor leader that has to steal material from his enemies to build himself up." He then turned and started to make his way towards the door. "I'll see myself out, thank you."

"We're not through here!"

"Yes we are, Mr. _Mayor_," David said. "You called me here to make your threats and try to intimidate me. You delivered your threats, but failed in your attempt at intimidation." He paused to look over his shoulder as he opened the door. "And if there is a next time, expect certain financial records to fall into the wrong hands."

David smiled as the door closed behind him and waved at the mayor's secretary as he headed towards the elevator. The sudden impact of something hitting the door to the mayor's office made him chuckle as he stepped on the elevator. However, his smile faded when the elevator doors closed. Though he treated the mayor like the whiny little prick he was, he knew Oliver Sansweet could be trouble. He also hadn't expected the man to pull a fast one and allow a Team Tomorrow unit placed in his city.

_He may be an incompetent little shit, but he certainly knew where to stick it._

David sighed as he watched the numbers on the elevator's LED display count its way down to ground level. He was definitely going to contact NSA Director Dicker about this, something he really didn't want to do because it would mean working out some sort of "deal". He closed his eyes, momentarily wishing he could burn this building down along with mayor and Pax inside it.

A mistake he quickly corrected as his mind briefly linked to one of the orbital "defense" platforms that Utopia had in orbit. He hadn't actually linked to the actual fire control, but he got a mental image of the satellite feed while it's targeting system focused on the building. A second later, he managed to sever the connection and cover his tracks.

_Damn, gotta' keep from drifting like that._

Usually, he erected mental "firewalls" that isolated his mind from most net activity, but sometimes, when he got angry or mentally "drifted", he would find himself in some awkward situations. Needless to say, the meeting with the mayor fell into the "anger" category. He closed his eyes and waited until the elevator beeped at him and the doors opened.

He managed to keep his cool as he made his way across the atrium and out the front doors of the building.

"Sanctimonious asshole," he grumbled. He was still muttering under his breath when Violet's car pulled up alongside the curb. He opened the passenger door and got in. "You were right," he said, not even bothering to look Violet in the eye. "I didn't see it coming."

"Told ya," Violet said, though it was more a statement of fact than taunting David. "After what happened at SST and your little media campaign, they were bound to try something."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect them to go this far, Vi." David shook his head. "The mayor is actually going to allow a T2M team in this city."

"Well, it does make sense." Violet shrugged as she pulled the car back into traffic. "We hurt their reputation and you dragged them through the mud. Putting a team here would give them a chance to repair the damage. So...where to now? Back to SST?"

David shook his head. "Actually, how would you feel about going south to LA?"

"Why?"

"I need to see my dad."

Violet slammed the brakes hard. "What!? Syndrome's in LA?"

"Ow, Violet! Dammit...whiplash!" David rubbed his neck and tried to untangle himself from the shoulder-strap of his seatbelt. "I said my Dad...the guy who raised me, not my psychotic sperm-donor."

"Oh, sorry."

"No, you're not."

Violet gave him an evil grin. "You're right."

* * *

Oliver Sansweet looked out the window of his office and watched the small purple Volkswagen continue down the street. He wished that it would get in an accident, killing its occupants, but he knew the world never worked that way...it would be too easy.

"You let him get to you," he heard Caestus Pax say.

"You don't need to lecture me, Pax. After all, I'm surprised that you didn't just throw the little shit out the window for the way he was goading you."

"Because that's what he wants, Mr. Mayor. Any action I take against him will probably be recorded and broadcast within minutes." Pax folded his arms and stood there when the mayor turned to face him. "I have to give the punk credit, he's playing a dangerous game, but he plays it well."

"Can't you Utopia people do anything to him?"

Pax shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Flynn is correct. He hasn't violated any laws and so long as his people are registered with the NSA, we can't claim that they're rogue novas that need to be brought in. This incident with SST blew up in our faces and he has done much to hurt our credibility and drag us through the mud."

"So even though you will have a team here, you cannot go after them?"

"No. All we can do is respond to an incident if things get out of hand, but I doubt Flynn will have his people go out of their way to start something."

Sansweet suddenly smiled as an idea came to him. "What happens if...say...a third party were to attack SST and caused enough trouble that might endanger the local populace?"

"Then we would have no choice to act," the nova replied. Then his eyes widened in realization. "Mayor Sansweet...you're not suggesting that we should arrange such an incident, are you?"

"Why, Caestus Pax...I am insulted that you would accuse me of such a thing." Sansweet grinned and reached for his phone, pausing for a moment to look back up at Pax. "However, I think it might be wise if you were not in this office when I make this call, that way you have no idea of what's going on."

"I hope you aren't intending anything illegal, Mr. Mayor," Pax said. "Because I would have no choice-"

"Relax, Caestus, what I'm doing is hardly illegal, but it would be better if you were left out of the loop on this and responded accordingly."

"And what do you have in mind?"

"Well, as Mr. Flynn, has pointed out repeatedly, this is America, and everyone is entitled to free speech...even those that hate novas."

Caestus smiled when realized what Sansweet meant. "And there are some who might act in such away against David Flynn's people that might endanger the city." He turned and made his way towards the door. "Make your call, Mayor Sansweet...and let me know when the fireworks start, we'll be ready to respond."

Sansweet watched Pax leave and waited a few more minutes until he was certain Pax was away from the building. Then he tapped a button on his phone that connected him with his secretary.

"Yes, Liz...do me a favor and see if you can get me contact information for the Church of Michael Archangel."

* * *

**The Neptune Facility**

**Utopia Maximum Security Prison**

**Somewhere in the Indian Ocean  
**

Buddy sighed as he entered the chow line for the prison cafeteria. After being incarcerated in this isolated installation, he had to admit that it did feel like home...a little bit. Granted, he was still subjected to the occasional beat-down by a guard, but it was a mostly solitary life. Most of the prisoners left him alone when he interacted with the general populace. Only two other prisoners had actually attacked him and he surprised them (and the guards) by soundly beating his attackers to a bloody pulp, one of them with his dinner tray and the other with his cybernetic arm which he used as a club after it was ripped off his body.

In a way, prison had been good for Buddy. When he wasn't working in the restricted labs under the watchful of Utopia personnel, he was working out in his cell while he mentally played out scenarios on how to escape his prison. He knew his chances of escaping were pretty non-existent...or at least they were until Lansing had given him a laptop and arranged for him to have more privileges. Then he spent the last month plotting his escape.

His escape...he stifled his laughter as he thought about his escape plan. Oh, he was certain it would work, but he just couldn't believe that he got the idea out of a Clive Cussler novel...a nasty habit he had gotten into while being imprisoned here. He never really read those kind of books when he was free man, but after reading novels such as _Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising_, and _Polar Shift_, he couldn't help enjoying Cussler's imagination...the man certainly had some creative ways to engineer a cataclysmic disaster through artificial means.

_When I get out of here, maybe I should track him down and thank him for the inspiration..._

"Move it, 342," snapped one of the guards, lightly tapping Buddy on the shoulder with his stun-baton. "You're holding up the line."

"Oh, sorry," Buddy said. He went through the line, collected his food, and sat down at his usual table. He ate his meal in silence, ignoring the other prisoners as usual. Twenty minutes later, he had finished his meal and took a look around.

_Well...that takes care of the last meal of "Mystery Meat on a Shingle"...guess it's time to get this show started. Time for me to channel my inner Nicholas Cage._

He slowly got up from the table and walked up to the guard who had yelled at him earlier. "Hey, I need a cigarette."

"Get lost, 342," the guard said, shoving Buddy aside as he started to walk away.

Buddy followed him and tapped him on the shoulder. "I said I need a cigarette."

The guard turned to face him. "Pine, I'm warning you-" was all he got out before Buddy's metallic right fist slammed into his helmet, knocking him back a few feet. "Okay, that was stupid." He activated his stun-baton and lunged forward at Buddy.

Before he was imprisoned, Buddy wasn't much of a hand to hand fighter, preferring to lean on use of his gadgets and mental expertise. But years of constant exercise and the occasional prison brawl did wonders for Buddy, replacing his slightly overweight frame with wiry muscle and honed reflexes. So it wasn't much effort for Buddy to deflect the incoming attack from the rookie guard and then bend the man's arm in such a way that forced the man to drop his stun baton. Buddy then shifted his weight, allowing his attacker's momentum to keep going, throwing the guard into the table. He quickly reached down and grabbed the stun-baton which he used to zap another guard that approached him.

It only took a couple seconds before the other inmates in the cafeteria realized what was going on and suddenly jumped the remaining guards. One minute later, it had turned into a full blown riot and Buddy took a moment to enjoy the moment of chaos before he searched one of the unconscious guards' uniform. He knew it would be over pretty soon, probably in about another minute or two, but he enjoyed the mayhem.

Then he pulled a pack of cigarettes off the unconscious guard and held it triumphantly in the air like a trophy. "Anyone got a light!?" he shouted. "Anyone? Anyone?"

Some of the other prisoners laughed and cheered him on as he jumped up and down in celebration, pausing only to kick the downed guard as he began to stir.

Then it happened.

All the prisoners, Buddy included, suddenly winced in pain, some even began to scream as the little ankle bracelets they wore shot electricity in their bodies. For Buddy, it was a double jolt because the Utopia crew had also rigged his cybernetic arm with such a device that shot it along his existing nerve lines in his shoulder and straight into his nervous system. He could have disabled the device a month ago, but chose not to because it would have alerted the prison security system that it was compromised. So he let it stay active. Besides...it was all part of the plan.

_But it still hurts like a bitch, dammit!_

His legs buckled out from underneath him and he dropped to his knees. Oddly enough, he was still conscious and, after that jolt, he felt nothing. Then again his nervous system had just been fried so feeling nothing was probably just a side effect.

_Not to mention the fact that I can't move...hey, how about that, my arm is still up in the air._

Several more guards stormed the cafeteria, subduing the rest of the prisoners while two other guards approached him. He noticed that unlike the others, these guards were actually carrying rifles. One of them raised his rifle up in the air over his head and Buddy knew what was coming next.

_Well, it's a good thing I can't feel much, because this is going to hur-_

He never completed the thought as the gun butt hit him squarely in the face, knocking him out cold. Three minutes later, it was over. The riot was over, most of the prisoners were subdued or unconscious, and two guards were dragging Buddy off to what the inmates referred to as "The Black Room", a room outside the general prison area that was not heavily monitored so the guards could conduct "interrogations" without being interrupted, beating various inmates to a bloody pulp and then dumping them back into the prison populace as a warning to the rest.

Unfortunately, for the guards and everyone else at Neptune...that's exactly what Buddy had intended.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Beginning is the end is the Beginning**

* * *

Disclaimer: As usual, Aberrant...still owned by White Wolf (but if they want to sell the rights for cheap, I'd be interested). Incredibles, created by Brad Bird, owned by Disney/Pixar. "Du Hast", written and owned by Rammstein (and amusingly performed by Buddy Pine). Neil owned by Disney/Buena Vista entertainment. Miss Parker (though briefly mentioned and not seen), owned by NBC/TNT (or whoever owns The Pretender these days). "A Space Oddity", written and owned by David Bowie (and poorly sung off key by Buddy). Okay...I think that covers the disclaimers.

* * *

_The darkness is coming, that much is certain. And while it is inevitable, it concerns me that the war may be brought upon us prematurely by those who wish to control the outcome for their own gain. Some would say it is the baselines who would do such a thing, but sadly, even those of us of the true race are vulnerable to our baser instincts. While both sides are more than willing to point their fingers and say "the other side" will make the first move, it doesn't change the fact that something is indeed coming._

_The only thing we can do, is be prepared. And pray that God, if he truly exists, will allow us to survive it._

_**-**_ From the private journal of Pedro Santiago, the "Mathematician".

* * *

_**North of Los Angeles**_

Violet wasn't sure what to expect as they approached their destination. Hell, she wasn't even sure why she agreed to act as David's personal chauffeur for the day. She had a couple classes she should be studying for, not driving two hours to a suburb north of LA. On the other hand, she was also curious...what kind of environment did Syndrome 2.0 grow up in?

_Stop it!_

Ever since she met David a few weeks ago, she kept having a mental war with herself, half of her trying to figure out what this new evil mastermind was up to while the other half kept trying to tell her that David was **not **Buddy Pine.

A quick glance over at David, she noted some of David's similarities with his father. He had the same hair color and similar facial structures, especially when he laughed. But the eyes were different...they weren't like Buddy Pine's.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" David said as he looked up from his laptop.

"Wh-what?" Violet managed to stammer.

David smiled at her and she momentarily flinched as she remembered the same expression on Buddy Pine's face. "Comparing me to him."

"I'm sorry," Violet said. "It's just that...you look a little bit like him, but you're different. And yet..." her voice trailed off.

"You're still not sure what to make of me," David finished for her.

Violet nodded, not sure what else to say.

"It's okay," he said, smiling at her again. This time, it wasn't the smug self-assured grin that Violet associated with Buddy Pine. This was a softer and reassuring smile. "Sometimes I don't know what to make of me, either. Then again, that could be said of anyone."

For some reason, Violet couldn't help laughing. "Okay, you just proved you're not entirely your father. Buddy Pine was hardly philosophical."

David chuckled. "Ah, then my master plan is working."

"And what would that be?"

"Distracting you from my true evil plan for world domination by vaporizing the world's supply of toilet paper."

"Wouldn't work, that's what Reader's Digest is for."

David snapped his fingers and frowned. "Dammit! Foiled before I could begin...when will I learn?"

They both laughed, and once again, Violet actually felt herself being lost in the moment and enjoying it. This was real laughter and it felt good. Then she realized who was in the car with her and reeled it in.

_Remember, he's not his father...but what if he's worse...stop it!_

David gave her a smug grin. "You're still doing it, aren't you?"

"Okay, how are you doing that? Can you read minds?"

"No...unless you were an AI or mentally linked into a computer somewhere, but that's not the case." David logged off and closed his lap-top. "I picked up a habit when I was younger, studying people...how they interact, how they move, how they react in certain situations...it was very useful, especially in middle school and high school." He smiled at her again. "Kept the football players from beating the shit out of me, stuffing me in a locker, or whatever they felt like doing to a geek."

Again, Violet found herself trying to stifle a giggle. "You...a geek? Okay, aside from the clip-on tie-"

"Can we please not bring that up?" David winced.

"I told you, I'll forget about it in a couple years. "I don't see it...yeah, you're smart, but geeks don't generally wake up at five in the morning and do a six mile free-run through the city."

David stared at her for a moment, a stunned look on his face. "Violet Parr? Have you been spying on me?" Then he laughed. "So...exactly how often do you spy on me? Do you happen to follow me back to my apartment when I take a shower? I feel so...so..._**violated**_."

"I do not!"

"Oh suuuure, I believe you...little Miss Invisible." He tilted his head to one side. "Tell me that you have never used your power to...say...go into the boy's locker room during PE in high school?"

"I haven't," Violet said, an edge starting to creep in her voice.

"Okay, girls locker room?"

"David!"

"Hey...nothing wrong with that, I mean-"

"I have never used my powers to do anything like that."

David held up his hands defensively. "Okay...okay...it got a little out of hand there," he said. "But our little exchange just now did accomplish something."

"Really? And what might that be?"

"It got you to stop having a mental war with yourself trying to compare me to my father."

An awkward silence filled the car as Violet realized David had done. He was trying to distract her, keep her off balance...much more subtle than his father had been.

"Look," she finally said. "I know what you're trying to do. I know you're not him, but there are some striking similarities there that hit a little too close to home for me."

David's expression softened. "It's okay," he said. "I knew when I approached your family that this was going to be hard for everyone. But given what's going on in the world today, I'd rather have you as allies than enemies."

"Is that all we are to you, David? Just allies?"

The smile was back, but it didn't strike Violet as being Buddy Pine. "For now, Vi. I wish I could say we were friends, but let's face it, there's too much bad blood between your family and me. It's not my fault, but I also know that what Buddy did to your family and other members of the super-powered community...that can never be forgiven."

"Then why even come out in public like this? You could have lived a quiet life under a different identity and been successful that way."

"Maybe," David said. "And if things were different and I didn't know what I know, I probably would have done so."

"What things?" Violet, now curious. She also noticed that David had shifted once again from being funny to suddenly serious.

"Life," he said, staring at the road in front of them. "Then again, I guess life in general wouldn't be interesting if one could simply move about with no challenge along the way. In that regard, life is like a game, a simulation, except the rewards and consequences are real."

"Wow...cryptic much?"

"When I want to be, Vi. Unfortunately, it's the truth this time." There was hint of sadness in his voice. "And no matter what we want, we can't change it." Then the sadness vanished as he sat up in his seat. "Okay, we're almost there, make a left at the next intersection...then it's the third driveway on the right."

Violet did as she was told, pulling up into the third driveway that belonged to a two-story home. At David's urging, she parked behind the drab-green van that was parked out in front of the home's garage. She then got out of the car to look at the building...a two story, possibly a four bedroom home, painted a blue-gray color...an atypical home found in just about any suburb. It didn't fit with what Violet had expected.

David smiled as he ran his fingers along the side of the green van. "Yep, Neil's home."

"Who's Neil?" asked Violet.

"Foster father. I sometimes slip and call him 'Dad'...because he pretty much is. He's probably out in the back yard barbecuing something. C'mon, I'll introduce you." He got out of the car and made his way to the front door.

Violet got out as well and followed David up to the doorstep, but stopped right at the doorway, causing David to turn around when he entered the house.

"What's wrong, Vi?"

Violet shook her head. "Sorry, it's just..."

David rolled his eyes and gently pulled her inside by the arm. "Come on...time to unsuspectingly enter a wannabe super-villain's lair," he said. "You really need to relax, Vi. We're here to pick up a car, not carry out some cataclysmic plot to take over the world."

Violet allowed herself to be led through a short hallway and into a living room. The first thing she noticed was the coffee table that had what appeared to be blueprints of a hospital. She also saw various strange looking tools on the coffee-table, one looked like a crescent-wrench that had a blade coming out of the other end.

Then there were the pictures. Several of them showed David, a girl about the same age, and a man in his early 40s engaged in various activities...mountain climbing, white-water rafting, bungee jumping. That was when she saw it...and almost choked from the laughter.

"Oh...my...god," she said, walking up to pick up the picture that showed David in a soccer uniform. Then she saw another one that had David pole vaulting at a track-meet. "You were a jock?"

"Huh?" David said, then his eyes widened when he realized what Violet was staring at. "That was a long time ago!"

"Um...it was two years ago," Violet giggled. "A geek and a jock."

"Besides, I wasn't that great of an athlete."

"Uh-huh," Violet said as she picked up a small soccer trophy and read the inscription. "Most Valuable Player...you've been holding out on us."

"Hey, put that down," David snapped, grabbing the trophy from her and putting it back on the shelf.

"You know...we really need to talk about your past some time," Violet laughed. She then focused on the picture with David and his adopted family. "I take it the old guy is Neil...who's the girl?"

"Oh, that's Megan, she Neil's daughter," David said. "She's into extreme sports and stuff. She's the real success in the family...she'll be heading off to the Air Force Academy next year."

"You have a weird family, David."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Both David and Violet turned around to see Neil standing there wearing a cooking apron and carrying a plate with a large steak on it.

"Hey, Dad," David said as he walked up to his foster father. "Steak looks nice..."

"Get your own," Neil growled, though Violet could tell there really was no malice there. He then looked over at Violet. "So...you must be Violet. Didn't think you'd take the job...your father must be pissed. So, how many walls did he punch holes through?"

Neil's blunt approach caught Violet off guard. "Um, yeah I am...er...he is...um..."

"Relax, Miss Parr. I know about you and your family, that's part of the NSA package."

"What?"

David couldn't help laughing at Violet's confusion. "It's okay, Vi. He used to work for Dicker and the NSA." He then glanced over at Neil. "Though he still won't tell me what he did exactly for the NSA."

"You know, with all that mega intelligence and super ability, I'm surprised you still haven't figured it out yet," Neil chuckled.

"Aside from the fact that you have several identities, Neil Flynn, Glenn Matthews, Tom Fordham, and...my personal favorite...Dr. Jan Itor." David shook his head. "And those are just the four main ones...haven't even bothered to track down the others yet."

Neil gave him an evil grin. "And when you do that, we'll definitely need to have a serious talk."

"I'd love to, but don't have that kind of time," David said.

"Given what I've seen in the last few weeks about you, I can understand." Neil set the plate of steak down on a counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room. "So, what brings you here, kiddo?"

"Oh...not much, just thought I'd visit," David said, giving Neil his best grin.

"You're lying," Neil said.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Okay...there is an ulterior motive." David sighed, deciding to get right to the point. "I'd like to buy Black Beauty from you."

"Black Beauty?" Violet asked.

Neil's expression suddenly became serious. "You're joking, right?"

David shook his head again, pulling his checkbook out of his coat. "Fifty-Thousand, Dad," David said as he wrote out the check. "I need a car." He tore the check out of the book and handed it to Neil. "And that's a good deal."

Neil sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Davey, she's not for sale. I saw what happened to your last car."

"But Dad, it went for a good cause."

"So you trashed your BMW mini to save her ass," Neil quipped. "I'm sure that's crowd pleasing to some, but that was a waste of a decent car."

"Hey!" Violet snapped.

"Dad, it was just a BMW...not worth crying about," David said. "Besides, she was in trouble and I would do it again if I had to."

"Thank you," Violet said.

"Don't mention it, you have a cute ass, it deserves to be saved."

"Hey!" Violet smacked David in the back of the head.

"Ow!" David yelped. "But it's true."

He was awarded with another smack to the back of the head.

"Ow, Vi...stop hitting me."

"Are you two done?" Neil asked.

"Yeah," David said, rubbing his head. "Look, Dad...it's not like you're driving it. And I promise I'll take care of her."

"I don't know, Davey. We put a lot of work into her and I don't want to see her get trashed."

"Oh, for crying out loud, you two," Violet groaned. "This is just a car."

Both men suddenly stopped and turned to look at her in shock. "Just a car!?" they both repeated in unison.

Fifteen minutes later, Violet found herself in the passenger seat of a restored 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and silently praying that she would not die of a heart attack as David tore around a street corner. She also concentrated on trying not to enjoy the adrenaline rush and ignore David's semi-maniacal chuckle.

"Oh yeah...this thing handles like a dream," David said as he slowed down and parked behind Violet's Beetle.

"And I suppose you're going to soup it up with your usual high-tech approach?" Violet asked.

David looked at her, a horrified look on his face. "What? Are you insane?"

"All I'm saying is that your last car was modified with various 'upgrades', I wonder what you'll do with this."

"Violet, this car is almost forty years old...it was a project car that Neil and I started restoring when he took me in." David shook his head. "This is American history we're sitting in...a relic of the past...not some toy to be modified and played with."

"Okay, am I missing something or is there a story here? Because you hardly seem like the person who would get this worked up over a car."

David stared at her for a few seconds before answering, a thoughtful look on his face...as if he were trying to figure out what he should actually tell her.

"Awhile back," he finally said, "Neil had taken me in...I wasn't exactly your typical kid...come to think of it, I don't think I really was a kid back then."

Violet saw something in David's face when he spoke, a hint a sadness. "As opposed to the pinnacle of maturity that you are now," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

David smiled at her, but she could tell that it was faked. "Something like that. Anyway, I couldn't quite fit in with the other kids. But when I saw this old junker Neil had in his shop, I just started working on it right away."

_Okay...that sounds a little weird,_ Violet thought. "If you don't mind me asking, David, what was your childhood like before you moved here?"

Again, David seemed lost in thought. It was now obvious that he was struggling with what he should tell her. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, Vi, but let's just say it was very short, okay?"

Violet didn't like that answer. "David, what the hell did Buddy Pine do to you?"

David shook his head again. "Sorry, Vi...that's classified information...maybe Dicker will let me tell you someday, but not now." The sad smile returned. "And I'm not sure if you could handle the truth right now...so just let it go for now, please?"

Violet was going to push a little further, but stopped at the look in his eyes...something she had never seen before...fear. "Okay," she finally said. "I'll let it go...for now."

An awkward silence filled the car for several seconds until it was interrupted by a tapping on David's window. David rolled down the window and managed to put a smile on his face. "So...Dad...can I have her?"

"You still have the check?"

David pulled the check out of his pocket, but Neil paused before taking the check from David's hand. "Before I take this check, you need to agree to the following," Neil said.

"Like?"

"Premium unleaded at all times, no cheap shit."

"Well...duh."

"You will not use her in questionable situations."

"Yeah...right...as if you were never making out with someone in this car. I remember that one blind date you went on with that gun nut...that Parker lady with the leather fetish."

"Not talking about that kind of activity...I'm talking about the kind where you trash your car needlessly to take down a rampaging nova."

"Ah."

"No eating in the car."

"That's a given. What about coffee?"

"Only if it's in a covered container."

"Okay...is that it?"

"And she gets washed and waxed regularly."

"Yeah...and oil and fluids changed regularly...kind of figured that part out."

"In that case...she's yours." Neil took the check and then headed into the house, leaving David and Violet in the car.

David turned to Violet and smiled. "Well, mission accomplished, I got my car."

"Yeah, it cost you fifty grand," Violet said.

"For all the work we put into this, it's worth it."

Violet got out of the car as David started it up again. "Just stay out of trouble."

"Always," he said. Grinning, he shifted the car into reverse and gunned the engine, causing the car to do a one-eighty degree spin before he shifted it back into gear and drove off.

Violet shook her head. "Boys with their toys," she grumbled...then she found herself starting to laugh. "Really weird day," she said. Then she saw Neil wave at her as he exited the house and headed for his van. "Oh yeah...really weird day."

* * *

**The Neptune Facility**

**Utopia Maximum Security Prison**

**Somewhere off the coast of Africa**

Blackness...yep...blackness, the absent of color, light, or whatever...just pure dark nothing...that is what he was aware of when he regained consciousness. Blackness and dull throbbing pain throughout his body...except his right arm.

"Hey, I think the fucker is waking up," he heard someone say.

_Well, audio works, but how come I'm getting no picture..._

An odd thought, just one of many that suddenly ran through Buddy's mind along with flashes of images...the prison cafeteria, a fight, a guard being tazered, the smiling face of some punk kid that looked a little bit like him...

"About time," someone else rasped. "You saw what he did to Jennings. I'm telling you, they should just lobotomize him and dump his ass in the sea."

_Dammit...why can't I get a damn picture...oh...wait..eyes..c'mon...start working, dammit._

It took him a couple more seconds as his mind began to clear up and he began to remember what had happened. He had incited a riot in the cafeteria, and they took him down. The dull pain going through his body started to become more defined as his body began to finally register the punishment he had taken. From the way gravity was pulling on him, and the pressure being put on his body at key points, he can tell he was locked down on some kind of upright platform and his left arm was stretched up over his head and locked down as well. His right arm...his cybernetic arm...nothing.

"Okay, 342, time to wake up. Asshole."

_C'mon, eyes...work for me._

His eyes finally opened and he blinked to clear them up...just in time to register that he was in a dimly lit room and a fist was flying towards his face. His head snapped to the side as the blow caught him in the side of the mouth. Aside from the pain, he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth.

_Oh yeah...this is definitely back in the real world._

"That's for what you did to Jennings, you fucking prick," he heard the first guard say. "What have you got to say about that?"

Buddy blinked his eyes a couple times again and the room finally came into focus. Yep, he was definitely in the infamous "Black Room". The little cell outside the general prison's surveillance grid where prisoners were "interrogated". He had been here once before...a couple years ago. Last time, he used his cybernetic arm to break free and beat one of the guards into a coma.

_Ah yes, those were good times...speaking of which...where is my arm?_

He looked across the room and saw his cybernetic arm lying on a table.

_Well...that worked out nicely. They can learn...not that it's going to help them._

"What the fuck are you smiling at?"

Before Buddy could say anything, he got a fist to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him.

_Damn, this guy must have some real rage issues...probably got bullied at school. Guess I can relate to that on some level._

The other two guards in the room laughed as their companion proceeded to pound away on Buddy.

"Way to go, Mackie. I think he's coughing up blood now."

"Ten bucks says he's going to last at least an hour."

"You're on!"

He felt someone grab his hair before they pulled his head up so they could look him in the eye. A gaunt face and angry eyes stared at him with an expression that was fifty percent hatred and fifty percent ugly.

_Very ugly...I swear, that must be a requirement. Where the hell do they find these people? Is there a section on the job application that asks "Are you an ugly bastard with mental problems?"_

"C'mon, Pine...you're supposed to be this big badass who killed a bunch of people...you started shit in the cafeteria...not so big now without your arm, are ya?"

Another shot to the stomach and Buddy was sure he was going to throw up in the next few minutes.

"What's the matter, Pine?' asked the guard that Buddy had tagged as "Mackie". "Say something."

Buddy only managed to gasp for air for several seconds...after all...he was trying to breathe and hold back his last meal. After a few more seconds (and he was certain that he wasn't going to throw up), he looked his tormentor in the eye...and smiled.

"I like bacon," he said.

Mackie and the others stopped what they were doing and just stared at him silently for a seconds in disbelief.

"Huh?" was the only thing Mackie the guard had to say in response to that.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked one of Mackie's fellow guards.

Buddy only smiled and looked at his cybernetic arm on the table on the other side of the room, ignored by the guards. Upon hearing the voice-command, the arm's internal circuitry and recently modified CPU went online. He had spent the last month making modifications, small subtle ones, making sure that he didn't trigger any built-in security measures the Utopia engineers might have put into his arm when they built it. It really wasn't much...just a small CPU and networking interface, along with a little bit of dormant programming that wouldn't activate until he said the designated code-phrase.

Upon being triggered, the tiny CPU with its little networking chip sent out a signal and linked up with nine little devices Buddy had planted near various power conduits. It also linked to the prison's network and immediately uploaded a tiny little virus that began altering command protocols.

The lights suddenly dimmed, reducing visibility in the room for everyone. Buddy immediately closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, knowing what was going to come next.

His arm suddenly moved, its servo-motors making enough noise to attract attention.

"What the hell?"

"Someone kill that thing."

"Careful, it might be-"

Mackie the guard never finished his sentence as the arm exploded, the bright flash blinding everyone and its shrapnel cutting down two of the guards. Mackie was knocked off his feet by the concussive force of the explosion and thrown against the wall.

The clamps holding Buddy in place suddenly opened as the lights returned to normal, allowing him to slide off the table.

"Security override established," responded the cool and unemotional female voice of the prison's AI. "Initiating new protocols. Warning, EMP activity detected..."

Buddy grinned. "Don't worry baby, it's not meant for you...though you probably won't be around much longer anyway." He then walked over to one of the now deceased guards whose face was shredded from the amount of shrapnel he took from the blast. "Ow...and that, you little shit, is why you need to wear a helmet." He searched the man's body, hoping to find a key-card when he heard a soft moan. His eyes lit up with malicious glee as he recognized the person.

"Mackie!" Buddy laughed as he walked over and kicked the one surviving guard in the head, knocking the man back down to the ground. Then he saw the shock-stick that Mackie was apparently reaching for. "Oh yeah," he said, stooping down to pick up the shock-stick. "You know what the really cool thing about the Unitech 330 stun-baton is?" he asked casually as Mackie tried to get up again. "No? You don't know? Well...the Utopia people, or to be more precise, their masters...the ones who truly run this facility...wanted something with a little more kick, but made sure that certain safety protocols were put in so lowly security guards like you couldn't access the higher settings. Computer...disengage the safety protocols on shock-prod..." he paused for a moment to look at the numbering on the stick, "Delta-seven-one-three-bravo-lima-six-three."

"Safety protocol disengaged."

"Thank you," Buddy said. He kicked Mackie in the middle of the back, forcing the guard back to the ground again. "Now," he said, twirling the baton in his hand. "Allow me to introduce you to the concept of electric sodomy...sorry, no lubricant is available at this time."

Then he brought the shock-stick down hard in the middle of the guard's back, his soft cruel chuckle drowned out by Mackie's screams as he was electrocuted.

William Morgan had been a guard at C-12 for nearly six years...almost from the time they had converted the old remote oil-drilling platform into a prison. As a former Navy SEAL, he had seen a lot of things in his lifetime prior to his posting to C-12, but the nova prisoners he had seen show up at this facility were the worst. Nearly two hundred of these monsters were sentenced here, kept in line only by regular doses of moxinoquantimine and the ankle bracelets that each prisoner wore.

Yes, novas came in all shapes and sizes, some were hideous monsters both literally and figuratively, but he found that most of those paled in comparison to the "normal" looking ones. He thought it ironic that the more "human" looking novas that would have almost no blending into the baseline human population tended to be the more vicious of the "rogue" novas. But none of them came close to the one nova he actually worried about...Buddy Pine.

Buddy Pine, oddly enough, was cordial with Morgan. Of course, there were the usual death threats from Pine, but the man was more than willing to carry on a decent conversation. Other guards, and most of the nova prisoners for that matter, didn't think much of Buddy Pine. To them, he was a low level nova who only made fancy gadgetry and weapons. But Morgan was one of the few who knew the truth about Buddy Pine...the man was a living time bomb waiting to go off.

What most people didn't know was the fact that C-12 was primarily made to house Buddy Pine. Utopia's leadership knew the danger Buddy Pine posed, but they also weren't ones to pass up having a captive scientist/inventor at their disposal. For five years, Buddy Pine was kept detained at C-12, forced to develop new technologies for Utopia, technologies that Utopia would occasionally "share" with the rest of the world, though they tended to keep a majority of Pine's inventions away from the public, citing that 'the world is not ready'.

Morgan was no fool, he knew a line of bullshit when he saw it. Utopia's leadership was keeping the real big breakthroughs for themselves, planning to reveal them to the rest of the world when it was politically or economically convenient. And yet, for some reason, Pine really had no problem with it...and that's what bothered Morgan.

_It's like having Lucifer prisoner. Except people tend to forget this is literally the devil we're dealing with and we're eventually going to get burned. I just hope I can get the hell out of here before it hits the fan._

Until a couple months ago, Morgan was content to work another two years and retire with a decent benefit package. But that changed when Jonathan Lansing, the now former director of International Operations for Project Utopia showed up with an order granting Buddy privileges and allowing him some concessions. Though assured that the small laptop Lansing had given Buddy was limited and certain functions had been permanently disabled, Morgan didn't like it.

_Giving that bastard any type of personal electronic equipment is just asking for trouble._

Morgan voiced his concerns to the warden, but was told that there wasn't anything they could do about it. Since being allowed back with the general populace, Buddy Pine had been a model prisoner, but Morgan didn't buy that either. He knew the bastard was planning something and there was nothing he could do about it except pray that he was far away when that plan came to fruition.

Thankfully, they did approve of his request for a transfer and he would be gone within a couple weeks. Granted, they assigned him as a guard at some remote monitoring outpost near Talaud Island, but he would rather deal with volcanic eruptions, poisonous wildlife, and occasional earthquakes than be anywhere near Buddy Pine.

Then the incident in the cafeteria happened. Pine had picked a fight with a new guard named Jennings, claiming he only wanted a cigarette. He incited a riot that was immediately shut down by the ankle bracelets that fried their wearers, allowing the guards to drag the rioters back to their cells. Buddy Pine was dragged off to what everyone referred to as "The Black Room", an area that was part of an isolated cell-block that was away from the general prison population and not as heavily monitored. Morgan didn't blame the men for wanting some payback on Pine, but he had a bad feeling and immediately made his way towards the warden's office which was located in the upper-levels of the facility near the residential areas for the prison staff. He passed by one of the few large observation windows and noticed the storm brewing outside. He could see lightning off in the distance and saw several waves slam against the facility, the white backwash splatter momentarily reaching up to the observation window and blocking the view before dissipating.

_Damn, this is going to be an ugly storm._

He had seen his share of ocean storms, but Morgan wasn't concerned. C-12 had endured at least a couple hurricanes a year, so he thought nothing of it, though he had to admit that it was rare to see those kind of waves hit the facility like the one he just saw. He made his way to the command center of the facility where he found the warden talking to one of the techs.

Warden Bradford Tyler, like Morgan, was a former soldier, a twenty year marine veteran who worked his way up through the enlisted ranks before becoming an officer. And, like Morgan, signed on with Utopia, lured by the big paycheck. The only thing Morgan had against the warden was the man's listening to bureaucrats that made up the Utopia leadership these days. However, what redeemed Tyler in Morgan's eyes was that he didn't like having no choice but to execute whatever orders the Utopia directors passed down. There were times when Tyler would follow the instructions of his superiors, but made sure his people knew where the loopholes were so they wouldn't be bogged down by bureaucratic red-tape.

Unfortunately, when it came to Buddy Pine, they were very particular with their orders. Someone high up in Utopia regarded Buddy Pine as a valuable commodity and went out of their way to make sure that he was secured and kept from "extensive damage".

_Oh yeah...we're definitely going to get burned from this._

Tyler looked up as Morgan approached and gave him a tiny smile. "I understand we had some excitement down below," he said. Then his smile faded. "I heard it was Pine."

"Yeah," Morgan replied. "I'm not sure what his game is, but he wouldn't do anything like that...not without a reason."

Tyler sighed and shook his head. "Great," he grumbled. "How many people did Pine maim this time?"

"Just Jennings, poor kid took multiple shocks from a stun-baton and a mild concussion from being knocked around, but that's about it."

"Where's Pine now?"

"Mackie and the others dragged him off to the Black Room."

"Shit," growled Tyler, shaking his head again. "Mackie's a loose cannon. I don't mind the crew smacking Pine around for whatever shit he's trying to pull, but if that fucker seriously injures or kills Pine and the higher ups find out about it, they'll take it out on us for killing their golden goose."

"Well, we could always claim he was killed in an accident or something," Morgan offered.

That comment actually brought a smile to the warden's face. "No," he said. "I wish we could get away with that, but you know there would be an inquiry. Unfortunately, Utopia loves their rabid dog and doesn't want us to put him down like we should. Contact the idiots in the Black Room, tell them that playtime is canceled and to dump the little shit back in his cell."

"Yes sir." Morgan keyed on his communicator. "Mackie, this is Morgan...cancel playtime and drop the bastard back in his cage."

Morgan was expecting to hear some smart-ass response from Mackie, the usual irreverent tone that bordered on insubordination. Instead, all he got was silence.

"Mackie?" Morgan frowned as he remembered the last time Mackie was this silent when dealing with a guest in the Black Room. "If you seriously injured that piece of shit, it's your hide."

"Oh...wow, Morgan, I didn't know you cared," chuckled an all too familiar voice.

Morgan heard several gasps of shock and disbelief, and he could have sworn the temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees.

"Oh c'mon, people," Pine snickered over the line. "You knew this day would come eventually, right?"

Tyler leaned forward and tapped a key on a nearby console that activated the facility wide PA system. "This is Warden Tyler, we have a breach in sector 42, I want a level 4 detail-"

"Uh-uh," interrupted Buddy Pine, cutting off Warden Tyler's announcement. The lights suddenly dimmed for a moment before returning to normal and there was an audible click as all the doors to the command center suddenly locked. "This is my game, Warden Tyler, I make the rules now."

"Um, sir," said one of the techs as he frantically tapped away on the keyboard and read the data on the screen. "We have a problem. He's put us in emergency lock-down."

"How?" asked Tyler.

"I don't know, sir," the tech replied. "Oh god...sir, the inmate's security anklets...they've been deactivated."

"And so it begins," Pine's voice boomed ominously over the PA system before breaking into another chuckle. "Oh god...that was way over the top, wasn't it."

However, Pine's comments were ignored by the personnel of the command center as they were paying attention to the monitors that displayed the chaos that was starting to erupt in the prison as inmates suddenly realized their restraints were neutralized and began to attack the guards.

"Shit, we gotta' get in there," said Tyler as he saw guards being taken down and dragged off by inmates.

"We're trying, sir, but he's got the area sealed off." The tech paused to check another screen. "He's also cut off communications in the facility...we're helpless here."

"We have to do something," Morgan said as he walked over to where another tech was trying to bypass some of the security protocols. "Think you can break it?"

"Maybe," said the young Asian man. "It'll take awhile, but I think I can break it...never thought my hacking skills would be used here."

"How long?"

"I don't know...about an hour."

"Not sure if we have an hour," grumbled Morgan, but he knew better than to take it out on a the tech. "Just do what you can."

"Hellllllloooooooooooo...anybody there?" Pine asked. Then he started to sing terribly off-key. "This is Ground Control to Major Tooooooooooooooooooooooom..."

"Can someone please at least cut that fucker off?" Tyler ordered.

"Wow, such language, Warden Tyler," laughed Pine. "What kind of example does that set for those under your command. Granted, I know that you were once a marine and it's almost impossible for a marine to say go a whole sentence without saying the f-word, but c'mon...you're not a grunt anymore."

"What do you want, Pine?" asked Morgan.

"Ah, Morgan, you ARE in the command center. It's good to know that there is someone with a working brain cell over there...not that it will do you much good."

"What do you want, Pine?" Morgan asked again.

"Oh...the usual," there was a pause...followed by the sound of something metal, a tool perhaps, hitting the ground. "Damn, sorry about that. Only got one arm at the moment and it's a bitch to talk to you and work on my stuff at the same time without dropping something. As for what I want...well, the usual criteria...money, power, my enemies dying a gruesome death preferably by my hands...er...hand...though I've really been craving a bacon cheeseburger for some reason...not sure why."

"The guy's fucking psycho," muttered another guard in the command center.

"Well...duh," laughed Pine. "Anyway...hold on a sec...it's time for me to make this a facility wide broadcast-"

Suddenly the facility shook violently as if something had hit it.

"What the hell was that?" asked Tyler.

"According to our instruments, that was a wave sir...a ninety footer," replied the first technician.

"Is that possible?"

"Not unheard of, but-" the tech was cut off as the facility shook again. He looked down at his screen and his eyes widened, the panic clear in his voice. "Oh...my...god."

Tyler looked down at the screen and saw a satellite view of the area and the computer was automatically tagging at least three or four more large _anomalies_ approaching the facility.

"Whoa," said Buddy Pine. "It feels like things are starting up a little bit sooner than I intended. Guess mother nature really doesn't like being fucked with like that. Excuse me for a moment, would you?"

"Pine, what the hell did you do?" growled Morgan.

"He can't hear you, sir," said the other tech. "He just cut the connection."

Buddy frowned as he studied the lab's monitor, mildly upset that the EMP pulse generated from the base of the facility being a little more powerful than he planned. Oh, he intended for the result to be powerful and destructive...he was just hoping to have a little more "fun time". Getting to his work lab was easy enough though. After he had fried Mackie the guard, leaving a charred corpse in dire need of a proctologist, he had the system's AI lock everything down except for passages that led to the lab. To prevent security personnel from stopping him, he had the AI gas the passages, killing everybody unfortunate enough to be there. He could have gassed the whole facility...but that wouldn't have been any fun.

However, he managed to pause for a moment, just a moment because he didn't have much more time to spare if the readings were any indication, to bask in this moment of triumph...a moment that was abruptly ended as the facility shook again.

"Dammit," he grumbled to himself. "Of all the times for me to outdo myself, why did it have to be on this project?"

Then he shrugged and returned his attention to the small weird archway he had constructed in his lab. It had taken him a couple weeks to cobble this thing together. He managed to get away with it by telling his observers that he was building some sort of small power generator using his zero-point technology...which wasn't really lying, it did have a portable ZP power unit attached to it...he just didn't bother telling them that it was a "one-shot matter transmission device"...or, in layman's terms, a teleportation unit.

He checked the power levels on the archway and smiled as they hit eighty percent. Then he hit the activation switch to start calibrating the unit and lovingly slid his hand down the side of the unit.

"Oh...baby, look at you," he said softly. "Perhaps one of my greatest creations and I'm only going to use you once before kicking you to the curb." He suddenly paused and shook his head. "Okay...now I know I'm going nuts if I'm stating to talk and fondle the machinery...I definitely need to get out of here."

He then returned his attention to the computer terminal, going through a batch of mp3 audio files he discovered. Normally, he would have cared less, but he felt like he needed some music to fit the mood, especially given what was happening now and what was going to happen in the next ten minutes. He browsed through the list, pausing for a moment on "Dragula" by Rob Zombie when he saw another selection.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled. "They'll do nicely...granted, my German's a little rusty...but I'll improvise."

Back in the command center, Tyler and Morgan were going over their options as the various technicians tried to hack their way back into the system.

"We're running out of time, Brad," Morgan said. "The little shit is planning something."

Tyler nodded. "Agreed, but what could he possibly want? I mean, if he wanted to take control of the facility, why not stage a full scale riot, overwhelm us, and take over. Yes, we've lost control of the station, but he's keeping the general prison levels separated from the outer levels...why keep the inmates contained?"

_That's what's bothering me,_ thought Morgan. "Buddy Pine could care less about the others," he said, "he's only out for himself. Trust me, he's got an end-game planned, but I have no clue what he could be up to."

"But could he possibly come up with?"

As if in response to Tyler's question, the facility shook again. This time, alarms went off and the groan of metal being torn away could be faintly heard.

"Sir!" one of the techs almost shouted. "We just lost the eastern observation tower!"

"Get me a visual," Tyler ordered.

The tech obeyed and keyed on the main vid-screen, accessing another satellite view.

"Oh god," Morgan heard someone say...though he was wondering if he said it himself because of what he saw. The eastern observation tower was gone...along with the helipad that was on top of it. It was as if it had been ripped away, leaving the jagged remains of the supporting structures. But what scared him more was the strange way the water was starting to churn around the facility itself, as if it were in the middle of a the beginning of a whirlpool...a massive whirlpool.

"That's not possible," Tyler managed to choke out after several moments of silence.

Then the image on the screen suddenly vanished to be replaced by a grinning, one-armed, Buddy Pine holding some sort of remote control device and standing front of some weird looking arch-way made of metal that was ominously shooting off the occasional blue spark.

"And helloooooooo, Neptuuuuuuune!"

One of the techs tried to cut Pine off, but shook his head. "Sorry, he's taken control of all communications and he's broadcasting all through the station. Can't cut him off."

Back on the screen, Pine grinned at them. "This is Buddy Pine aka 'MC 342' speaking...as some of you may have guessed by now, the facility is no longer under the control of Project Utopia...you could say it's under new management!"

In the general prison area, the inmates who had recently subdued, injured, or just out-right murdered the their guards looked up at the three-dimensional hologram being projected over their heads. Some were applauding, while others were laughing or hollering out their encouragement.

"And I know, for most of you, this sounds like a good thing." Then Buddy frowned at them. "But, sadly, this is only temporary. Because, I'm sorry to say, this facility will no longer be here much longer."

The laughter and amusement of the inmates died down almost immediately and they, like those helpless in the command center began to experience a sense of dread. They also heard the sound of the large metal doors that kept the general prison area separated from the rest of the facility start to grind open.

"Yes, people" Pine continued. "It's sad, but true. My advice to you is to stop taking your aggressions out on the guards or each other and focus on getting to the available life-pods. Survivability is only about fifty percent for those of you that make it that far, but it's a hell of a lot better than no chance at all for those that remain."

The inmates didn't have to be told twice. Almost immediately, they all went storming as an unruly mob toward the main doors, pushing, shoving, and fighting each other on their way to the exit. Some tried to use their newly reactivated powers to fight their way through, only to find themselves fighting other inmates whose powers were starting to return.

Back in the lab, Buddy smiled at the chaos he saw on one of the screens, but kept talking. "Now, that being said...this is usually the part where I ramble on incoherently for no reason other than to reveal bits and pieces of my master plan, but...well, I got nothing." He shrugged at the camera and gave it an apologetic look. "Sorry, but it's hard coming up with new monologue material with every scheme and since I've kind of been out of action for the last five years, I'm a little rusty. However, I promise the next time I come up with a cataclysmic plan for world-domination or something, I will have stuff."

He then held up the remote and pointed it dramatically at the camera as if it were a gun.

"But not this time. No fancy monologue, just the fact that most, if not all, of you are going to die a savage and brutal death while I make my escape. So...have a nice day and...rock on!"

In the command center, Buddy Pine's image blinked out and was replaced by the satellite view of the facility. Then the command center and the facility's intercom system kicked on at full almost deafening volume as a song began to play.

"_**DU...DU HAST...DU HAST MICH!"**_

"What the hell!?" Tyler yelled.

"You got to be fucking kidding," one of the techs muttered. "The bastard is playing 'Du Hast' by Rammstein?"

_**Du**_

_**Du hast**_

_**Du hast mich**_

_**Du**_

_**Du hast**_

_**Du hast mich**_

_**Du**_

_**Du hast**_

_**Du hast mich**_

_**Du**_

_**Du hast**_

_**Du hast mich**_

_**Du hast mich**_

_**Du hast mich gefragt**_

_**Du hast mich gefragt**_

_**Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt**_

Down in the lab, Buddy Pine was head-banging in tune to the music, then began to sing along to the refrain.

_**Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet,**_

_**Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?**_

_**Nein!**_

_**Nein!**_

_**Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet,**_

_**Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?**_

_**Nein!**_

_**Nein!**_

The facility shook again. This time, there was a loud shriek of metal as parts of the prison were being ripped off. Up in the command center, the last thing Tyler said was "Oh shit!" before the entire upper part of the facility was torn away and water flooded the command center, drowning everyone.

Some inmates had managed to make their way to the life-pods, small mini-subs that were relatively safe, if they weren't subjected to the elemental forces that were being unleashed on the station. A couple of the subs were dragged down by the whirlpool while the rest were ripped apart.

Down in the lab which was starting to fall apart around him, Buddy typed in a few final commands in the remote before tossing it aside. "Well," he said. "Time to go." Then he shook his head again. "Damn...really need to stop talking to myself."

Then he heard more sounds of rending metal and water start shooting though various pipes at high pressure. "Oh shit...bye bye!"

He then jumped into the now glowing blue archway. Just before the archway began to disassemble his molecular structure for transmission, he suddenly had a thought.

_Wait a minute...I'm going to show up naked on the other si-_

He never finished that thought as the archway suddenly shot out a blue beam of light that ripped through the ceiling, through the maelstrom of water and debris, and continued on up into the Earth's upper atmosphere before hitting the prison's communication satellite which then redirected the beam back to its intended target before self-destructing. Its task done, the archway burned itself out, only to be suddenly swept away by millions of tons of water that ripped through the facility on its way to destroying the station's power source.

Within twenty minutes, it was over. The Neptune Facility was gone, as if it no longer existed and the water now occupying its former location was starting to calm down. Unfortunately, the waves generated by Buddy's EMP wave were still going strong, taking out at least half a dozen freighters in international shipping lanes before slamming into the coast of Somalia and other countries, instantly wiping out a handful of seaside villages while flooding several others.

Over the next twenty-four hours, the news networks would declare this a natural disaster of almost biblical proportions. Conspiracy theorists word-wide would claim that it was a Utopia experiment gone wrong. Representatives for Project Utopia would try to calm the world and assure them that they, and all branches of their Team Tomorrow super team were doing what they could to assist those affected by the disaster.

Then there were those who were the true power behind Utopia, those who suspected what had happened. Needless to say, six of those seven had no idea of the scale of destruction Buddy Pine was truly capable of.

As for the one who truly knew what Buddy Pine was about...she had done something she had never done before in her life.

She prayed.

* * *

_**Metroville, California**_

He had lived many years...he wasn't quite sure of his own age anymore...he lost count after his eighty-fifth birthday, but he knew he had to be pushing at least a hundred and ten. Not that it mattered because he had the body of a thirty year old and the physique of a greek god.

The man who called himself Divis Mal allowed himself a small chuckle as he walked through the suburban neighborhood. Instead of his usual garb that associated him with the Teragen, he wore normal clothes...well, as normal as a being like himself would allow...an expensive Italian suit and overcoat still made him standout, but the baselines would have mistaken him as some wealthy individual with a fine taste in clothes.

He had many names and lived many different lives over the last century. He was born at the time the horse and buggy were still the main means of transport, and watched as humanity made great leaps in technology in a relatively short time. He was there when the first generation of superhumans first appeared in the early twentieth century...hell, he was part of of it, and he was there as he watched them slowly disappear with each generation before they were banned for almost two decades. He also noted during that time how some simply disappeared (and then later learned that most were murdered by a psychotic genius calling himself Syndrome).

Then Galatea happened shortly thereafter...correction, he caused the Galatea incident, but only he and perhaps two others knew that. He smiled again as he thought about one of those individuals...David Pine Flynn.

_Ah...my young self-proclaimed 'Prometheus'._

Mal thought it was ironic that the boy, who was the son of the man responsible for so much death and destruction, had started his own company and deliberately chose to call it Syndrome Software and Technologies...almost as if mocking his biological father.

_Then again, from what we know of the boy, that probably isn't that far from the truth._

David Pine Flynn was an enigma to Mal and the rest of the Teragen. It was obvious that the boy had his own agenda, but even Mal was surprised by the path David had taken. It was not the true path, but nor was it the Utopia way where baselines could exploit novas like David. What Flynn had done was hardly innovative, but it was daring, and even Mal had to admit that it looked like David was more than capable of pulling it off. The young man had founded SST with the intention of getting the best and brightest young talent of the baseline and nova community and forming a sort of co-op where they could sell their inventions without having to go through a group like Utopia. Because SST was an American based company, it was not under UN/Utopia jurisdiction, which meant that while they could complain about it...they had no say in what David Flynn's company did, despite their claims.

In many ways, David Flynn reminded Divis Mal of two young men from the 1970s and 1980s that revolutionized the computer industry.

_Except Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were baselines. Flynn is much more than that...at the rate he's going, he will give those two some serious competition._

However, David Flynn was not the reason he had returned to Metroville. This time, it was personal. As he approached the two story house, he actually caught himself hesitating, pausing as he watched a young boy...probably about nine or ten years old dribble a basketball in the driveway, pretending to play against an imaginary opponent.

"Parr...with ball...sidestepping...he twists...turns...shoots!"

Mal watched as the child started to fall, but managed to launch the ball in the air where it seemed to linger for a moment before swishing through the basket.

"Three pointer! The crowd goes wild chanting the name...Jack...Jack...Jack...Jack!"

Mal smiled as he watched the child.

_He has his mother's eyes...my eyes._

For a moment, he hesitated again...he had promised her that he would stay out of her life. He respected that wish. After all, he really wasn't part of her life to begin with. He almost turned to start walking in the other direction, thinking that it would be better not to get involved.

_But I have no choice...we have no choice...she must be warned._

He still hadn't moved, preferring to stay there and observe the boy playing basketball from a safe distance. Having seen what the boy was capable of, he thought it was amusing that a being with the powers of a god was enjoying something simple as an imaginary game of basketball.

_Ah...to be that young and carefree again, not a worry in the world._

Then it occurred to him why he was still standing there...he was afraid. That thought actually made him laugh...he, Divis Mal, the most powerful nova on the planet...afraid.

_If only the others saw me now...their great leader afraid of something as petty as this. Except it's not fear of her...it's fear of what I risk dragging her and the others into...but she must know._

After a few more seconds of silently arguing with himself, he managed to continue walking to the driveway, pausing to address the boy. "Excuse me, young man," he said politely. "Is your mother home?"

The boy looked up at him and laughed. "She better be, otherwise it would be called child neglect."

"Such complex language for one so young," Mal chuckled. "And where does one learn such language and sarcasm?"

"The main source of education for kids like me these days...television."

"Ah," Mal said, nodding his head in understanding. "That makes sense." He then proceeded up the walkway to the front door, pausing for moment before knocking.

"Just a second," he heard someone call out. A moment later, the door opened. "Yes, wha-" Helen Parr's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the man at the door. "Dad..."

"Hello, Helen. We need to talk."


End file.
